


Light in the Dark

by Lady_of_Frost



Category: Bright (2017)
Genre: Bright!Reader, F/M, Female Reader, Language, Sexual Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2019-10-04 05:42:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 130,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17298851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Frost/pseuds/Lady_of_Frost
Summary: After answering a call from a human Bright he’d been hunting, the two must work together to find the ones responsible for attacking her, and what their true intentions are.





	1. Call for Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: blood, language, hospital scenes

Hands shaking you scroll through your phone looking for the new contact you had created. Finding it you tap on it and then pause. Staring at the number on your screen labeled MTF you exhale shakily.  
This was a last resort.  
There’s no telling if they’d even actually help you. But you’re running out of time. You tap the number and hold the phone up to your ear. You listen to the dial tone and spare a glance at your right side. Crimson is seeping through your clothes and coating your hand as you try to staunch the blood. Struggling to keep your eyes open, you draw in a shaky breath and silently plead for someone, anyone to pick up.

*******

Kandomere was busy looking over the case file with his team. Trying to piece together what little they knew about this Bright and where to find her based on her last known location.  
A week and a half they’ve been on the hunt.  
And a week and a half it’s been raining almost non-stop with no signs of slowing. The only solid evidence they have to go on is the security footage and eyewitness testimony from a convenience store. Two gunmen had attempted to rob the orcish store clerk when she had intervened. Using magic she had easily disarmed them, forcing them to flee. The store clerk in his testimony had said that he had demanded that she leave, having become frightened of her and even threatened to call the Magic Task Force on her. To which he inevitably did. She had fled the scene before agents could arrive to apprehend her and little has been seen of her since. They didn’t even have a name to go with this mystery woman. 

But Kandomere had a theory that the change in weather was connected to her. And him and Montehugh were now in the process of cross-referencing weather patterns with possible sightings.  
“The storm did pick up over in this area, after that one lady called in,” Montehugh offers. “It did, but it also picked up over here at about the same time,” Kandomere countered pointing to the map. “Yeah and there’s no way she could’ve gotten there that fast,” Montehugh sighed, “I mean unless she used magic.”  
Kandomere shrugged, “It’s possible.”  
This was getting nowhere.  
Frustrated he took to pacing the room. The human agents ducked their heads attempting to busy themselves with their work, with Montehugh being the only exception, as their boss stalked around the room. He knew it was because they did not wish to incur his wrath.  
Running his fingers through his hair he sighed, perhaps he had been wrong about this human’s connection to the storm.  
He was seldom wrong. But there simply wasn’t enough information to formulate a solid theory. The trail was growing cold, he could feel it, and he hated it when a trail went cold. Very few people have ever managed to elude him.  
Still, he needed something; anything that would help him find her, even just a name would be enough.  
A phone rings interrupting his thoughts.  
Montehugh sighs and picks up the phone, “Hello?”  
Kandomere looks over to where his partner is seated.  
“I have information on the Bright you’re looking for,” he hears a woman’s voice say on the other end. Kandomere gestures for Montehugh to hand him the phone. Without saying another word to the woman, he stands and crosses the room, Kandomere meets him halfway and Montehugh passes the phone to the elf.  
“Hello?” he says.  
A pause. Then a soft, “Hey.”  
“You said you have information on a Bright?” Kandomere continues.  
“Yeah I do, you’re talking to her,” she says coyly.  
His eyes widen and he quickly snaps at the other agents in the room signaling for them to start tracing the call. They hurriedly move to follow his order. Kandomere resumes his pacing; he has to keep her talking.  
“Is that so? What’s your name?” he asks.  
“What’s yours?” she counters.  
Now staring out the rain battered window, he doesn’t miss her flirtatious tone.  
“Kandomere. My name is Kandomere,” he offers unable to resist being a little flirtatious himself.  
“Kandomere,” she tastes it. “That’s a nice name,” she whispers.  
The corner of his mouth pulls up in a smile, and he pivots to walk back and forth in front of the window.  
“Now what’s your name?” he asks. She tells him. The elf points across the room and Montehugh listening in on the conversation is already jotting it down.  
“Now, you wouldn’t mind telling me where you are?” he questions.  
“Where’s the fun in that?” she responds.  
He sighs, so now she’s going to be difficult. “I would love to know where you are?” he asks, pouring it on extra thick this time trying to get her to take the bait.  
“Kandomere dear, you and I both know you’re tracing this call,” she says softly.  
He straightens. “I need to know where you are, darling.”  
“I’m sure you do,” she replies.  
He’s done playing this game.  
”Listen-“ he begins angrily, before a pained sound from the other end stops him. He listens intently to the sound of ragged breathing, “Hello? Are you still there?” he asks the anger in his voice now gone.  
A shaky intake of breath, “Kandomere…could…could you do me a favor?” she asks, voice wavering. “And get here before I bleed out.”  
Jaw clenched he looks to Montehugh, who gives a thumbs up. They got the location. Turning his attention back to her, “Hang on alright, I’ll get a medical team to you shortly,” he says softly. “We know where you are now.”  
“H-Hurry,” she says and then the line goes dead. 

Moving quickly, him and Montehugh waste no time gathering the necessary teams along with the medical team he promised and head to the source of the call. Upon arriving where the call originated, he orders the teams to spread out and search for her in the parking garage she’s holed up in. Eventually they do find her, propped up against a wall in one of the stairwells. He doesn’t actually see her until the medical team has placed her on a stretcher.  
And he smells her before he sees her.  
The scent of blood is overwhelming. Watching them approach, her face is pale and if the bloodstains on her clothing are any indication, she has a nasty gash on her right side. She’s still breathing but it’s labored and slow. As she’s carried past him, her eyelids flutter open and her eyes meet his.  
And then the medics load her into the ambulance and shut the door. Turning on his heel, he walks back to the car with Montehugh in tow.  
He’d wanted to find her, but not like this.  
Opening the car door, he shakes his head. He can’t lose another one. 

*******

“Alright Doc whattya got for us?” Montehugh asks upon entering the room. Dr. Kim looks up from her paperwork, “Ah Special Agent Kandomere, Agent Montehugh,” she greets them both with a nod. Kandomere nods back. The human woman is in her mid fifties and dressed in her post-op attire. Her black hair is streaked with silver and tied back in a short ponytail. She stands and hands the elf the paperwork. Flipping through it he gives it a cursory glance: broken ribs, mild burns on the knees and legs, bruising and abrasions on her left arm, and a large laceration on her right side likely from a…he raises his brows.  
“A large unidentified creature?” Kandomere questions.  
“Mmhm,” she nods.  
“How big we talkin’ Doc?” Montehugh asks. “Like a manticore?”  
“A gryphon?” Kandomere suggests.  
She shakes her head, “Bigger.”  
“What’s bigger than a gryphon?” Montehugh demanded, looking to Kandomere.  
“Are you certain?” the elf inquired.  
“Honestly it’s hard to say, whatever struck her came at her from a downward angle. So it was either flying or standing at a much taller height than her,” she explains.  
“What makes you think it’s not a gryphon then?” Montehugh questioned.  
“Gryphons usually prefer to pick up their prey and drop it from a great height. Not only are her legs not broken there’s no wounds on her shoulders or back indicative of a gryphon attempting to lift her off the ground,” Dr. Kim continues. “No, this is only a partial claw mark.”  
“If it’s only a partial claw mark, then how did she survive?” Kandomere muses.  
“That’s a question you need to ask her,” she replies.  
“There is something else I wanted to bring to your attention,” she says pointing to the paperwork in his hands. “There’s bruises and scratch marks on her left arm,” she states.  
“From the creature?” Kandomere proposed.  
“No, a person,” she responds.  
“Defensive wounds,” Montehugh guessed.  
“Someone a lot stronger than her tried to drag her by her arm,” Dr. Kim responds. “And based on the bruising, the broken ribs, the burns, and the laceration all of these injuries happened concurrently the night before you brought her in,” she finishes.  
“Fuck! What happened to her from a week and half ago at the convenience store to when we found her?” Montehugh implored, turning to the elf.  
“Well, hopefully she’ll be able to tell us,” Kandomere says. “When she wakes up.”  
“Thank you, Doctor,” he says. She nods.  
The elf turns to leave and then stops. He flips through the paperwork again; there was the mention of burns on her legs if she had fallen during the struggle…  
“Dr. Kim?” he asks.  
“Yes,” she replies.  
“Would a dragon be large enough?” he questions.  
She thinks for a moment, “Why yes it would,” she responds.  
“Thank you, that will be all,” he says and he turns and walks out of the room. Montehugh joins him and as they walk down the hallway, “You don’t think he could’ve done it? Do you?” he asks. Kandomere considers that for a moment, “It’s unlikely, I see no reason he would suddenly go rogue.”  
The dragon in question is of course, The L.A. Dragon, affectionately dubbed that name and an assortment of other nicknames by the people of Los Angeles. He had been living in this region long before the city was ever built and was well over five hundred years old. There were even more than a few occasions where he had defended the city itself. Whether it was fighting sea monsters that had wandered in from the coast or chasing off smaller magical creatures attempting to nest in the city such as wyverns or chimeras. He had no interest in involving himself in the personal affairs of the people who lived in the city, of course. But L.A. was part of his territory and he would defend his territory.  
“What about his mate?” Montehugh challenged.  
His mate.  
She had only lived here for the past fifty years or so after coming down from the north, but at this time of year… “No, she’s shown signs of nesting,” he states, shaking his head. “She wouldn’t leave the eggs.”  
“Well, what if our Bright was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be…” Montehugh offered. Kandomere knits his brows together, thinking of the possibility. The dragons would definitely attack her if she had entered their lair. “Perhaps…” he mused. But then again no one would have ever heard from her again. It’s not the sort of situation most people would survive Bright or not. “Perhaps not.” 

The armed guards lining the wall outside the room where their Bright is being kept straighten at the sight of Kandomere’s and Montehugh’s approach. Without breaking stride, the elf gives them a cursory glance before entering the room. Despite the fact that there are multiple beds lining the wall next to the windows they’re all empty, save for one. Kandomere slows down as he approaches her. He can hear the beeping from the heart rate monitor and the sound of her quiet breathing. Kandomere is more than aware of how dangerous magic is and of how dangerous those are who wield it. He stops at the foot of the bed. But like this?  
Like this she looks weak and helpless. And in a way she is.  
She had called the MTF. Had asked him for help.  
And he was doing everything in his power to make sure she would recover but…was it enough?  
Montehugh sighed and shook his head. And then there was silence again.  
Wait, silence?  
The elf walks over to the darkened window to peer outside. Night had fallen but that wasn’t a problem for his keen eyesight. The sky was still cloudy but there was not a single drop of rain. Turning to look at his partner, “It’s stopped raining,” he notes.  
Montehugh looks up to the window and then down at the woman in the bed.  
“Shit! It’s ‘cause she’s out,” he exclaims.  
“Yes,” Kandomere agrees nodding.  
“Heh, you were right,” Montehugh says.  
The elf moves to walk past her bed again but stops. Looking down at her, his eyes move to her hand. He places his left hand over her right one. Her skin feels cold and he’s not certain if that’s because it’s exposed or if it’s an indication of her condition. He remembers the first human Bright he had encountered, twenty years ago. He couldn’t save him when the Inferni…when Leilah…  
He closes his eyes.  
He had failed to do his job then, but he would not fail now. He opens his eyes and looks toward her face. Besides, he had met another human Bright recently and if he could survive all that he went through in a single night then surely she could.  
If there was one trait about humans he could admire it was their tenacity.  
They persevere. They keep fighting. No matter how hard it gets, or how strong their opponent is.  
“Hey, boss?” Montehugh says.  
“Hm?” Kandomere looks at him.  
His partner is giving him a weird look and when the man’s eyes dart from him to her hand, he understands why.  
Absentmindly, he had started stroking her hand with his thumb. He lets go and then tucks her hand under the blanket, mindful of the restraints, and walks back over to his partner.  
“We should let her rest,” Kandomere remarks.  
“Yeah,” Montehugh says side eyeing the elf.  
And then Kandomere walks out of the room with Montehugh following slowly behind.

*******

Hearing a commotion down the hall, he realizes it’s coming from the medical bay. Quickly he makes his way towards where they’re keeping their newfound Bright. Upon entering he sees that there’s half a dozen armed guards sprawled out on the floor attempting to stand. And one of the medics is doing chest compressions on the Bright while two others scramble to move equipment from one of the other beds. The medics then roll a new defibrillator over to her and one of them removes the hospital gown. Using gel and placing the pads, “Clear,” one of them says and places the defibrillator paddles on the pads. Kandomere stares in horror as the first attempt doesn’t work nor the second attempt. But with the third the heart rate becomes steady.  
Kandomere takes a breath and regains his composure. Turning his attention to the armed guards who’ve managed to stand at this point, “WHAT? HAPPENED?” he demands.  
“Sir, she woke up,” one of the men says stepping forward. “And then she cast a spell.”  
Montehugh having finally caught up enters the room and with a huff, “What happened?”  
The elf folds his hands behind his back, “That’s exactly what I was about to find out.”  
He notices out of the corner of his eye the medic who did the chest compressions approach him. Turning to face him he dips his head down and stares at him.  
“Sir, the anesthesia wore off sooner than we expected. She shouldn’t have woke up for at least several more hours,” he explains.  
The elf raises his head slightly indicating for the man to continue. “And sir, she was…she was fairly lucid. She was able to ask where she was and what she was doing here,” he said.  
Kandomere’s eyes dart from the medic to the woman and then back. “Did she say anything else?” he asks.  
The medic seems to think for a moment, “Yes, she overheard part of a conversation where you were mentioned by name. And in response she said and I quote, ‘Kandomere, that’s a nice name.’ ”  
Kandomere and Montehugh exchange glances.  
The medic shakes his head, “She was calm the entire time and then she tried to pick up her arm and saw the restraints. She had a panic attack, started hyperventilating, I almost had her calmed down and then they showed up,” he says pointing at the armed agents. “The moment she spotted them her eyes started glowing, so of course they start yelling and pointing their guns at her. Then she spoke something I didn’t understand and they all flew off the floor,” he says gesturing upwards.  
“Could you repeat what word she said?” Kandomere asks.  
The medic repeats it, he mispronounces it clearly, but that’s because it’s ancient Övüsi. The word meant, “to float.” A levitation spell.  
“And then?” the elf asks. “What happened to send her into cardiac arrest?”  
The man exhales, “A surge of energy from her fried all the equipment in her vicinity. And then she fell unconscious and went into cardiac arrest. That’s why we had to get equipment from the other side of the room.” The other medics nod in response.  
Kandomere looks out the window, “Are you sure it wasn’t the storm somehow?” he asks.  
“The what?” the medic asks following the elf’s gaze. Shaking his head in disbelief, “I- No, the energy came from her. I saw it.”  
The elf then turns to the armed agents, “Are any of you injured?”  
The agent who spoke earlier looks around to the others and after a few shakes of his fellows’ heads he replies, “No.”  
“Then you are to return to your posts,” he says sternly, glaring at them.  
“Yes, sir,” the agent replied. And with that the men filed out of the room.  
With their patient in a stable condition the medics set to work moving aside the broken medical equipment and putting replacements from the other beds in their stead.  
As Kandomere focuses his attention back to the woman he slowly approaches her side. Smelling burnt leather, his attention turns to the restraint hanging from the bed. Picking it up he examines what remains of it and he sees that a portion of it has been burnt through. Letting it hang limply, he then grasps her hand in his and lifts it up. Thumbing over her wrist he notes that her skin is unbroken. Gently placing her hand back down, his eyes trail over her unconscious form. The medics had recovered her with the blanket from the bed after the danger had passed. And closing his eyes he now simply listens to the sound of her gentle breathing and the rain falling against the window. The rain.  
Opening his eyes, the elf fixes his gaze out the window. The sky was dark once more and rain fell heavily onto the ground below. The weather had been fluctuating these past couple of days. And it had been fluctuating with her health. Reaching down he brushes some of the hair out of her face; he blinks a few times and then he turns away.  
“Notify me immediately when she awakens,” he says to the medical staff.  
“Yes, sir,” they respond.  
Nodding Kandomere walks past Montehugh, who’s been silently watching him this whole time. Moving to follow him, Montehugh waits until they’re out of the room and striding back down the hallway before speaking.  
“You know, boss, I’ve noticed you act kinda strange around human Brights, even for you. Is there uh... a reason for that?” Montehugh asks.  
The elf glances sidelong at his companion. “They’re rarer than elven Brights. And I only seem to meet them when they’re in mortal peril.” He can tell even from his periphery vision that his partner is less than satisfied with his answer, but Kandomere doesn’t care to elaborate any further at the moment. And ultimately Montehugh decides not to press him for more information. And the two of them continue down the hallway in silence.


	2. Recovery and Introductions

You wake up to find yourself in a hospital bed. Although the room you’re in is definitely no hospital. You attempt to sit up, but whimper at the burst of pain in your side.  
“Don’t move,” a man’s voice says, “You’ll only make it worse.”  
Glancing to the side, you see a man in armored gear over medical scrubs standing beside the bed. Not taking your eyes off of the man, you slowly settle back down. A bit of movement catches your eye and you spot another individual similarly dressed walk away from you and out of the room. Your eyes widen when you notice that the “door” to this room has bars on it. It currently sits open but you see a heavily armed guard just opposite the door, staring silently into the room.  
You have no memory of how you got here or where here even is. Looking down you notice there’s one of those heart rate things on your finger and an IV in your arm. Reaching with your left hand to pull up the collar of the hospital gown you’re dressed in; you see there’s a fresh bandage on your wound.  
“Don’t touch that.”  
You bristle at the man’s voice.  
Smoothing the gown back down, you bring the blankets over you. You stare up at him, but he doesn’t even move to look at you. You can’t see his face, but you decide it wouldn’t be a good idea to ask him any questions. 

The sound of footsteps across the hard floor draws your attention. Looking back towards the door, you see a blue-haired elf followed by a big, red-haired man. They both stroll towards you and stop at the foot of your bed. The elf glances at the man still standing beside you and nods at him. The man moves away from you and quickly makes his way out of the room. You stare silently at the two in front of you. The elf’s blue hair is mostly tucked behind his ears save for two strands which fall just in front.  
He’s well dressed of course, what elf isn’t?  
His three-piece suit is a dark purple, the jacket has leaves and vines in a lighter purple embroidered across his shoulders and down his lapels. The vest continues this motif by being completely embroidered. His pocket square and his tie are the same lavender color, and as your eyes drift to his neck you fix your gaze on the silver gorget tucked neatly over his tie and under his vest. You can only actually make out a few of the words, but you don’t need to read it. The gorgeous elf in front of you was just like most of the elven men you’d seen in elf town.  
Your eyes shift from the elf to his human companion. The big man was rather plain in comparison, his suit was brown and black, his hair being the only color that stood out on him. There’s a glint of metal near his waist and as you focus on it, you stiffen when you realize that it’s a badge.  
Your eyes focus on the elf once more, “Who are you?” you ask.  
The elf lifts his head up, “The Special Agent in Charge,” he replies.  
Special Agent? Oh no.  
“Where am I?” you ask.  
“What didn’t nobody tell ya? You’re in the Magic Task Force HQ,” the red-haired man interjects.  
Your eyes widen and you can hear the rate monitor beside you spike.  
This is your worst nightmare. This is exactly what you’ve feared all these years.  
“How did you find me?” you question trying to harden your resolve.  
The Special Agent tilts his head at you, “You don’t remember?”  
You don’t. You really don’t.  
“It’s all kinda fuzzy,” is your response.  
He studies you carefully. His human counterpart chuckles, “Sweetheart, you called us.”  
“What?” you whisper horrified.  
“Yeah, you practically begged us to come rescue you,” he continues.  
Shaking your head, he has to be lying there’s no way you would call the very people you were trying to avoid. That was the last thing on your mind. The only way you would have done something like that is if…it was a last resort.  
Realization hits you and you gingerly place your left hand on your side. Looking back to the elf, he still has his head tilted at you. Probably waiting for you to come to this conclusion on your own.  
“How bad was it when you found me?” you ask tentatively.  
He raises his head and takes a long inhale and slowly exhales lowering his head again. You hated it when elves did that.  
It was a well-practiced move that looked casual, but in actuality he’s scenting you from across the room. When an elf wanted to scare someone they would get in their personal space to smell them. You know your fear must be radiating off of you but whether or not he enjoys it, he makes no show of it.  
Dipping his head down, he closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them again to stare directly at you.  
“You had lost a lot of blood. You were barely conscious and likely delirious,” he said simply.  
“It’s probably why you were so flirty on the phone,” the ginger says with a smile.  
“What?!” you exclaim, again horrified.  
“I was flirting with you?” you ask.  
He shakes his head, “Not me, Ol’ Kandomere here,” he says nodding towards the elf.  
“Montehugh,” the elf sighs. His eyes dart towards the man as if he’d wished that he hadn’t mentioned that.  
Flirting with the elf you could believe, the man’s gruff voice did nothing for you.  
Kandomere’s on the other hand….  
To put it simply his voice was…. nice.  
You remember being alone, had you heard that voice in a compromised state like the elf suggests. Well, might as well if the odds are you aren’t going to live very long.  
But you had lived and now the embarrassment was creeping it’s way into your face.  
“Kandomere is it?” you begin.  
“If you say that’s a nice name I swear,” Montehugh interjects.  
“I- what? I wasn’t…how many times have I said that?” you blurt out confused.  
The man takes his hand out of his pocket and holds up two fingers, smiling. You think for a moment, “Wait, when was the second time?”  
“I was just about to get to that,” Kandomere states, looking at his counterpart, he then strides towards over to you until he’s standing next to your bed. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulls out something small and sets it in your lap. Picking it up you examine it.  
It’s a leather restraint.  
What’s left of one anyways. There’s a part where it’s…been burnt through.  
You swallow.  
“After surgery you woke up sooner than anticipated. Evidently, the anesthesia did not agree with you,” he explains. “You suffered a panic attack and then attacked my men.”  
You screw your eyes tight. “Did I kill anyone?” you ask fearful of the answer.  
“No.”  
You look up at the elf in both surprise and relief. He raises his eyebrows, taking note of your reaction. He extends his hand towards you, palm facing upwards. You place the restraint back in his hand and he pockets it.  
“No one suffered any injuries either,” he replies, walking back to rejoin his companion.  
“I-I don’t like to be tied down,” is all you manage to say.  
“Apparently not,” he remarks.  
“Now, how did you sustain your injuries?” the elf questions.  
“I was attacked,” you respond.  
“By?” he inquires.  
“By a dragon,” you whisper quietly.  
“The L.A. Dragon doesn’t go around attacking people. Unless they attacked him first,” Montehugh says pointedly.  
“It wasn’t him okay!” you exclaim. “It was another dragon, a grayish-blue dragon with orange eyes,” you say quietly, casting your eyes downward. “Burning orange eyes.”  
Montehugh looks to Kandomere.  
“What else can you remember about that night?” Kandomere asks.  
Rubbing your forehead, “Um, well there was an elf with him for one,” you say.  
“An elf?” he asks, surprised, “What did this elf look like?”  
You sigh, “He was tall, had silver hair, typical elven eye color… you… you know,” you say gesturing towards Kandomere.  
“Is there anything else?” he questions.  
“Because that’s real specific, no seriously it’s a lot to go off,” Montehugh says sarcastically.  
“It was fucking dark okay!” you exclaim. “And I was a little bit more preoccupied with the dragon bearing down on me.” You attempt to cross your arms but immediately wince the moment you so much as move a shoulder and stop.  
“Alright, that’s enough,” the elf says looking to Montehugh.  
The man pulls his hands out of his pockets and puts them up in a relenting fashion. The big man sighs, “Are there any other details you’d like to share with us? Like where were you when this happened? Was there anyone with you? How did you escape? No, seriously how? It’s a dragon.”  
You blink, “One: outside the city,” you say, counting off on your fingers. “Two: no it was just me, the elf, and the dragon,” you lie. “And three: I used a magic portal.”  
“You made a magic portal?” Kandomere asks.  
“Yes,” you lie again.  
“Oh, also the elf is also a Bright,” you add.  
“That might have been good to have mentioned at the beginning,” the man says. Montehugh then looks to Kandomere, “I guess we got one down, one to go.”  
“It would appear so,” the elf replies, glancing at his companion.  
“Okay just so we’re clear the dragon gave you that gash on your side?” the big man questions gesturing towards you. You nod.  
“How are you not dead?” Montehugh asks.  
“It was just a scratch, like when you smack a fly out of the air, it was at least lessened by the protection spell I had up,” you reply.  
“Protection spell?” he asks.  
“It’s like a dome of magic energy, with a radius of about five feet,” you explain.  
“Ah,” he says nodding. “Like a bubble.”  
You smile, “Like a bubble.”  
You swear for a brief moment there’s a tiny upward tug at the corner of Kandomere’s mouth, but then just like that it’s gone again.  
“And the storm?” the elf asks.  
“Ah about that, I…that was me,” you admit, “I was using it to hide from you guys and the elf.”  
Kandomere nods.  
“If you could give us an approximation of where you were the other night, so that we can investigate and see if we can’t find this elf and this dragon,” Kandomere says.  
You tell them to the best of your knowledge, after all it wasn’t your idea to head out there in first place. And then they take their leave and you’re left alone with your thoughts. The memories of what really happened playing over and over again in your head.

*******

You had just finished the lunch they had brought you when the elf walked into the room. He headed straight for you and when he got near, pulled a stool up next to your bed and sat down.  
“Yes?” you ask hesitantly. He’s without his jacket currently and sporting a silver-gray vest with a black tie and slacks.  
He crosses his arms and eyes you for a moment.  
“Yesterday after lunch the cameras in here went dead for about ten seconds,” he states. You swallow.  
“What were you doing in those ten seconds, Hm?” he asks.  
His eyes flicker over to your left arm. You look and remember that you’re bruises are now gone. Fuck! You shouldn’t have been so obvious!  
Turning back to him, he levels his gaze with yours.  
“Well? Show me what you were up to,” he says.  
Nervously you clench your fists and lower your gaze.  
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he says softly. You meet his eyes once again and there’s this… gentleness you hadn’t expected from him in those silver eyes. 

You pull back the covers and slowly lift up the shirt you had been given, just past your navel. Enough so that you could both see the edge of the bandage and the wound. Tenderly removing the bottom part of the bandage, you place your left hand on your abdomen.  
Kandomere leans forward and his eyes dart from your hand to your face.  
You close your eyes and focus. After a moment you feel a warmth spread from your hand to your abdomen and from there to your chest. And you feel you can breathe a little easier.  
You have to stop though, because you feel a wave of exhaustion suddenly hit you. Slowly, you open your eyes and you blink a few times. Then you focus on Kandomere, who tilts his head at you and leans back.  
“Was that all?” he asks an amused smile on his face.  
You nod tiredly. His brows pinch together slightly.  
“You don’t need to do that. It’s not necessary for-“  
“It hurts Kandomere,” you interrupt him. You take a few slow breaths, “It hurts to move, it hurts to breathe.”  
“We have pain medicine to help with that,” he offers.  
“And what about the elf?” You ask shaking your head, “I’m human, it’ll take me months maybe even a year to heal. Do you really think that elf is gonna wait for me to get better? Or do you think he’s going to take the opportunity to finish me off?” you question.  
His expression is unreadable, but there’s that slight pinch in his brows again.  
“Alright,” he says.  
“What?” you ask confused.  
He stands, uncrossing his arms, “I’ll let you keep healing yourself,” he replies.  
You’re momentarily stunned; you hadn’t expected to be able to convince him.  
“Provided,” he leans in close, “that you stop tampering with the cameras and other equipment. And you don’t use any other magic without my authorization,” he says.  
“Deal?”  
You nod. “Deal.”  
“Good, I’ll get the medics to start redressing your wound after lunch from now on. At this rate you’ll heal over those stitches,” he continues.  
You hadn’t thought about that. You hadn’t thought too far ahead in all honesty. You just wanted out of here.  
“I need you to work with us, not against us,” Kandomere finishes.  
You smile at him and nod, “I can do that.” He smiles back, “Now get some rest,” he says, and with that he leaves you alone once again.

*******

It takes you about five more days after that to finish healing your wound, until all you’re left with is a scar. To your continued surprise, the elf had come to check in on you every day. He hadn’t told you any more details about your case, only that he was still looking into it. You had been disappointed by that; you were honestly hoping that they would have caught the guy by now. Although, if you and your “Aunt” Selina were able to give them the run around, the elf almost certainly would.  
At least today they were going to let you go home.  
“Here,” one of the agents says, handing you a bin with some fresh clothes and a pair of shoes. The man was dressed in a suit and had a gun and badge on his hip, but at least you could see his face. You frown looking down at it and lift your head to stare at him.  
“These are mine,” you say.  
“Yeah,” he responds.  
“From my apartment,” you state flatly.  
“Well, I mean they searched your place obviously,” he retorts.  
Your shoulders slump.  
“One of the female agents picked that up for you, the other day though,” he adds, waving at it.  
You sigh, and take a moment to look through it. There’s a pair of jeans, some flats, a grey, plain t-shirt, and matching bra and underwear.  
Now you definitely know a woman picked this out.  
It’s all relatively plain but comfortable clothing, at least you won’t stand out too much. Also, a man would have never picked matching underwear.  
You take the bin and go to the bathroom to change. They’ve been relatively unconcerned about you going to the bathroom alone, because the bathroom you’ve been using is a single person one anyway and there aren’t any windows. They also post guards outside the door if you do decide to try anything. But you’ve been well behaved since you woke up (the second time), which has earned you a little leniency, (though you suspect the elf might have had something to do with it as well). 

You get dressed and try to get a look at yourself on the reflective surface of the faucet. There’s no mirror in here. They’re not foolish enough to give you something potentially sharp you could use. You comb your fingers through your hair and grumble to yourself; it’s dirty and needs to be washed, but that’ll have to wait until you get home.  
When you exit the bathroom, the agent walks you down a series of hallways and stairs until you get to the main entrance of the building. The agent checks his watch before putting his hands in his pockets, clearly bored. Looking through the double glass doors, you can see a couple more buildings not far from here.  
You’re only made to wait a couple of minutes however, before you start to see two familiar faces walking towards you. The agent glances up at them, “Ah, there they are right on time.”  
Kandomere and Montehugh walk through the two doors and up to you.  
“Hey! Look at you up and walking around,” Montehugh remarks.  
You smile at him and shake your head.  
“Can I go home now?” you ask.  
“Not quite we still have a few things to discuss,” Kandomere says.  
Your shoulders droop, “But I thought-“  
“Soon I promise,” he responds, holding a hand up.  
You still didn’t fully trust him, but he has kept his promises so far. And you get the feeling you don’t really have a choice in the matter anyway.  
The agent claps his hands together, ”Well, she’s all yours,” he says, more than happy to be rid of you. Kandomere nods to the man. 

The elf then gestures for you to follow him. And you walk between the two as you leave with Montehugh in front and Kandomere behind you. Stepping outside you breathe deep at the scent of fresh air. And hope that it’s not the last time.  
You walk from the building you were in, to the larger of the neighboring buildings. This one appears to be the main office building and as you enter, the three of you walk past the reception desk to the elevators. Upon entering one of them, the two flank you and Montehugh presses the floor button. As the elevator goes up, you shift uncomfortably. The elf spares you a brief, sideways glance, before looking forwards once more. The elevator stops and the doors open and the elf lightly places a hand on your back, urging you forward. You obey and step out and then the two escort you down the hallway. You pass by an open area with a bunch of desks and other agents milling about. Most of them are human with a couple of elves speaking to lower ranked agents. But you do see a handful of dwarves working on paperwork at their desks. You continue past this area and past what appears to be a break room, along with several closed office doors. Glancing down a hallway you stop.  
There’s a woman’s bathroom. And you forgot to actually use the bathroom earlier.  
“I have to go to the bathroom,” you say. Both agents turn to look at you. Montehugh furrows his brows, “Look, if you think we’re just gonna let you walk around unsupervised.”  
Knitting your brows together, you stare at him a moment, “I would like to request a female agent,” you finally say.  
“That can be arranged, Montehugh?” Kandomere prompts, turning to the man.  
Montehugh smiles, “Heh, yeah I think I know just the lady for the job.”  
The big man briskly walks away and after a few minutes, of which you stood in awkward silence with the elf, he returns with a dwarven woman. Her long red hair is pulled into a thick braid that runs down her back. She’s wearing a purple blouse with a black cardigan and black slacks. And a gun holstered on her hip.  
“This is Agent McTavish,” Montehugh declares with a smug smile.  
Her green eyes are fixed on you untrustingly. You can’t really blame her, she’s just been asked to watch a human Bright.  
“Gwendolyn, if you please,” Kandomere says.  
She stiffens a little at the use of her first name.  
“Alright, come on,” she says motioning you in the direction of the bathroom. “Let’s get this over with,” she then mumbles.  
McTavish has you walk in front of her into the bathroom, her hand placed over her sidearm. As you go into one of the stalls and turn around to close the door you see her staring unblinking at you, and you slowly close the door, finally breaking the uncomfortable eye contact.  
When you lift up your shirt, you spot the still fading scar on your right side. You brush your fingers over the mark. With a few more healing sessions it’ll be completely gone, but you need to recoup your strength first. You let out a sigh and finish up, carefully opening the door when you reemerge. That’s when you notice the shoes Agent McTavish is wearing. They’re a pair of white and black Mary Jane heels with little, black bows on them.  
“Your shoes are cute,” you comment pointing to them.  
“Thank you,” she deadpans, refusing to take her eyes off of you.  
You smile at her and walk to the sink. Agent McTavish moves to stand behind you. Washing your hands you look up and can barely see her head and shoulders over the counter.  
“Hey how do you-“ you start to ask.  
“There’s a stool,” she says flatly, interrupting you.  
You look under the counter and sure enough there’s a wooden stepping stool tucked under the counter. “Oh,” you reply.  
You dry your hands and once again she has you walk in front of her as you leave the bathroom. She then escorts you back to Kandomere and Montehugh.  
“Thanks, Gwen,” Montehugh says.  
She nods at him and then walks away.  
“Alright, Sweetheart, let’s go,” Montehugh says with a smirk.  
You sigh and follow the two agents once more.

The two lead you down a hallway to a door and Kandomere opens it for you. You walk into the rather spacious office. It was bigger than the other offices you had passed earlier leading you to presume this one must belong to the elf. Directly on the opposite end from you was a heavy wooden desk with a leather office chair and two leather chairs in front of it. The large glass windows that covered the entire wall behind the desk had the blinds pulled open letting in the afternoon light. To the right there was a leather couch with a glass coffee table in front of it and a standing coat rack beside it. To the left there were a couple more leather chairs turned out at an angle to face one another with a small end table between them, along with some filing cabinets on the side furthest from you. Kandomere strides over to behind the desk and takes a seat, and gesturing to one of the chairs in front of him he says, “Please, sit.” You sit in the left chair and Montehugh sits in the one next to you.  
Once you’ve made yourself comfortable the elf speaks, “We’ve investigated the area you’ve specified and there’s nothing there.”  
“What?!” you blurt out shocked.  
“There’s nothing there, because it’s been glassed,” Montehugh announces.  
You look from the man to the elf.  
“Which is evidence enough that a dragon was there,” Kandomere states. “However they have covered their tracks and it will be difficult to find them,” he continues.  
You lower your head.  
“We did find something else,” he says, reaching into his desk and pulling out a file. Opening it he takes out a few photos and places them on the desk in front of you. You pick up the pictures and examine them, the twisted and melted bits of metal that was your car is almost unrecognizable.  
“Had a chopper sweep the area to look for anything else, found that about ten miles from the site,” Montehugh explains, tapping the photos in your hand.  
“Bastard, flew off with my car,” you scowl.  
“I was hoping it’d still be okay but-“ you mutter.  
You glance up and Kandomere has his eyebrows raised slightly and his fingers steepled as he rests his arms on the chair.  
“I tried to make a run for it when the dragon showed up, but then he just picked up my car and disappeared with it,” you explain.  
His pale eyes stare at you closely.  
“You had a bag with you, when we found you,” Kandomere begins.  
You’re afraid you know where this is going.  
“Yes,” you admit.  
“And in it we found a couple of spellbooks: one in Övüsi and the other in English,” he continues. And there it is.  
“There were also some spell components. Our guys down in the lab think they were a part of a tracking spell,” Montehugh chimes in.  
“And a number of the components had already been used,” Kandomere states.  
“So I will ask this once, what were you doing out there?” he asks flatly.  
You can’t tell him. If you tell him, you’ll definitely end up in prison.  
“I was looking for something,” you say.  
“That much is obvious. What were you looking FOR?” the elf questions, his tone serious.  
“A necklace,” you say. It’s not entirely the truth, but it’s not exactly a lie either.  
“It…it belonged to my Aunt. My ex-boyfriend stole it and told me he threw it out there. So I went looking for it,” you lie.  
He raises his head slightly and his eyes move from you to Montehugh and then back.  
“But it started to get dark and I got a little lost heading back to the car and that’s when I accidentally stumbled on the elf,” you continue to lie.  
“Then what happened?” Kandomere questions.  
“He seemed angry that I had discovered him and shouted something into the sky,” you say.  
“Like what?” Montehugh asks.  
“I don’t know,” you admit, shaking your head. That much is true, you don’t know what language the elf spoke but it hadn’t been Övüsi.  
“Then the dragon flew down and scorched the ground. I put up a spell to protect myself and then tried to run to the car,” you explain. “The dragon took off with it, then came back, landed and did this,” you finish, gesturing to your side.  
Kandomere nods, “Thank you, for clearing that up. Now, seeing as you don’t have a car, I will have a couple of agents escort you home.”  
“We’re also gonna be watching your place for a while,” Montehugh says, “Don’t want you skipping town on us.”  
“Oh one more thing,” Kandomere speaks, reaching into another drawer. He pulls out a clear plastic bag containing: your wallet, keys and cell phone and hands it to you. You open the bag and take out your cellphone; noting that it’s been switched off.  
“I’ve taken the liberty of programming my work cell number into your phone. Should you need me,” he offers.  
You stare blankly at your phone. Did the elf just give you his number? I mean it’s his work number, but still.  
“I won’t, but thanks,” you reply, and stuff the phone into your back pocket.  
“Can I go now?” you plead.  
“You may,” he replies.  
Montehugh stands, “Alright, come on, Sweetheart,” he says.  
“Don’t call me that,” you snap with agitation.  
You follow him out of the room and back down the hallway until you reach that room with all the desks again. The two of you maneuver through them until you spot a familiar face. The dwarven woman from earlier is silently watching you approach, along with a pale man with greasy, slicked back hair.  
“This is Agent Davidson and you’re already familiar with McTavish,” Montehugh states. You nod.  
“Alright now play nice, Princess,” Montehugh remarks with a pat to your shoulder before walking away. You sigh at the new moniker he has chosen. Turning your attention back to the two agents, “So is this your partner?” you ask her.  
“No,” she responds quickly.  
“Her partner is out sick, so I’m fillin’ in,” Agent Davidson explains.  
“She usually sits right over there,” and he points to a desk with a nameplate that reads: ‘Hernández.’  
You look at her desk and then look across from it to see that Davidson’s faces hers.  
“Maybe she got sick of staring at you,” you joke.  
McTavish covers her face with her hand and tries to hold back a snort. Davidson frowns.  
“Alright, let’s go,” he says now shoving you in the direction of the elevators.  
McTavish follows, “Sick of staring at you,” you hear her snicker under her breath.

 

*******

They escort you to your apartment and you unlock the door. You flip on the lights and walk into the living room. Agent McTavish stays at the threshold of the open door, while Agent Davidson stays in the hall.  
You knew that the MTF had searched your place. As soon as they had found out your name you knew they would come here.  
But looking at it?  
It’s more disheartening in person.  
The books have been thrown off the shelves, the couch cushions and pillows thrown to the floor. The potted plants have been uprooted, ripped from their containers and soil is now spilt all over the floor. And it seems someone stepped in it at some point, because there’s boot prints leading around the room and then out the door. From here you can see they’ve gone through the cabinets in your kitchen and left a lot of the drawers and doors open. Glancing at your bedroom down the hall to the left, you can see that your clothes have been strewn about the floor. Turning your attention back to the living room, you spot a picture frame that had fallen off the wall and onto the floor. It’s laying face down and when you walk over to it and crouch to pick it up, you’re met with the tinkling of glass as it falls out of the frame.  
Shoulders slumped, you sigh and place it back down.  
You can clean later.  
You look over at McTavish who’s taken a few steps in and is looking around. She opens her mouth to say something then thinking better of it, closes it again.  
You walk back over to her, “I’m probably just gonna take a shower and then head to bed,” you state, gesturing down the hall.  
“Um, there’ll be an agent by tomorrow morning to pick you up,” McTavish says.  
“Alright, what time?” you question in a quiet, emotionless voice.  
“Eight,” McTavish answers.  
You nod. Agent McTavish looks around again and fixes you with a look of sympathy. It’s a far cry from earlier today, but at the moment you just want to be left alone.  
“Well, goodnight,” McTavish says.  
“Goodnight,” you respond, shutting the door as she and Agent Davidson leave. You lock the door and put the chain over it. 

Walking to your room you turn the light on, you briefly survey the damage you couldn’t see from the hall, set the plastic bag down, and reach into an already open drawer from the dresser and pull out a pair of panties and a nightgown. Then you walk into the bathroom and set it on the counter. You take off your shirt and then move to take off your pants and realize that your phone is still in your back pocket. Turning it on, a cursory glance shows you have no new notifications, but looking through the missed calls you have plenty of them.  
Of course they looked through your messages.  
Dozens of missed calls from people at work, your boss, and… your Mom. Closing your eyes tight, you then switch to look at your voicemails.  
It’s full.  
The most recent ones are from your Mom, there’s some from your boss, and your coworkers too. You scroll back further and stop when you see a familiar name. Selina.  
You stare at it for a moment and then press play.  
You hold the phone to your ear and after a moment you hear a voice, “Hello, it’s me. I think I have a lead on where we might find that thing I was telling you about. Meet me in our usual spot in an hour.”  
Tears well up in your eyes and begin to stream down your cheeks.  
Taking the phone you stalk back to your room and throw it down on the dresser and return to the bathroom and slam the door. You take off the rest of your clothes and hop in the shower. Turning on the water, you lean back against the wall and bury your face in your hands, and sob.

You don’t know how long you stayed in the shower, but at some point when you’ve calmed down somewhat, you actually manage to wash your hair and use soap. Eventually, you do get out when the water turns cold and forces you to. Drying off with a towel, you put on the clean clothes and wander to your bedroom.  
Spotting the phone you pick it up absentmindedly and plug it into the charger you left near your bed. Whoever had searched your apartment had also searched under the mattress and you take a moment to shove it back into place. Placing the comforter and pillows back onto the bed, you close the bedroom door and turn out the light. You sit on the bed a moment staring into space and then reach to pull the covers back. You rest you head on the pillow and curl up, wrapping the covers tight around you. You close your eyes and try to go to sleep.


	3. Antiques, Curiosities, and More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: grief, trauma, anxiety, language
> 
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}

He hears heavy footsteps approach and then someone open the door.  
“Hey, Boss,” Montehugh says, closing the door.  
Kandomere turns his head slightly in the man’s direction, “Ulysses.”  
“So what are we gonna do about this Bright?” Montehugh asks strolling up to the window to stand next to him.  
“I mean she’s clearly lying,” Montehugh states, “There were some truthful bits in there but,” he shakes his head.  
"The spellbooks alone are enough to hold her, if we wished to question her further but…” Kandomere trails off.  
Montehugh lifts his head slightly, “You think she’ll clam up?”  
Kandomere nods.  
The elf turns his head towards the man, “There is still much we don’t know about her and there is little we know of her attackers,” he says.  
He turns his head back to the window, “Better to keep her close for now.”  
“In case she slips up?” Montehugh questions.  
“Possibly, there’s something else I am more concerned with,” Kandomere remarks.  
Her safety.  
“What’s that?” Montehugh asks.  
Kandomere takes a long inhale, “There’s something she mentioned while she was recovering. She mentioned that the elf might try to kill her while she was injured. And though she said it mostly to persuade me into allowing her to heal herself…there was… still this look of genuine fear in her eyes,” he continues.  
“She knows somethin,” Montehugh comments. Kandomere nods.  
“Yes, something worth trying to kill her again,” he replies turning to look at Montehugh.  
“In the meantime, let’s see how much she knows about magic,” Kandomere says.  
“Put her to work,” Montehugh responds nodding, “I like it, we could use a human magic detector.”

*******

The ground shakes and you’re both knocked off your feet. You start to pick yourself back up, spitting the dirt out of your mouth. You hear the heavy footsteps of the dragon getting closer.  
“GET UP!! GET UP!!” Selina shouts and grabs your upper left arm and pulls you to your feet.  
“We have to move NOW!” she screams.  
She pulls you along as the two of you sprint away from the creature. You hear the beginning of an inhale and instinctively spin around and put a hand up.  
“For I grow quite alarmed, I do not wish US to be harmed!” you shout.  
A translucent blue dome of magic energy flares to life around the two of you. And a half second later blue fire collides against it. The light from the fire is so bright you screw your eyes shut, but you can still see it even through your closed lids. You lower your head and bring your other hand up to aid you. Your now trembling arms are bent in front of your head as you attempt to maintain the spell against the dragon’s onslaught. You feel the pressure against the shield cease and raise your right arm and open your eyes to look up.  
But your night vision is shot and you don’t see the dragon’s claws bearing down on you until it collides with the shield. His talons rip through it, and you step back and feel a searing pain in your right side. You cry out and collapse to the ground.  
“{There’s nowhere to run,}” the silver-haired elf says in Övüsi.  
“{I beg to differ,}” the elder, half-elven woman responds in Övüsi. You painfully manage to sit up on your knees and Selina steps in front of you. You look at the perimeter of where your protection spell had been and then beyond it. The ground at least fifty feet to either side of you is smoldering rock and glass. You feel a pain in your legs and look down to notice that the dirt beneath you is starting to heat up. You attempt to stand and Selina reaches an arm out and grabbing your left wrist hoists you up. You hear a low, deep chuckle and looking up, realize in horror that it’s coming from the dragon. His burning, orange eyes are fixed on you and you see his nostrils flare. Then the dragon bares his fangs in a twisted smile. You just stare back, frozen in fear as your entire body trembles.  
“Well? What are you waiting for?” the elf asks.  
“Kill them.”  
The dragon breaks eye contact with you to look to the left at the sound of the voice.  
Then slowly turns his head back to you.  
At the movement Selina turns around and outstretches her hand and mutters the Ancient Övüsi words for “safe passage.” You feel a rush of cold air as a circular portal opens up behind you. The dragon starts to inhale again and as he opens his mouth, you can see the blue and white flames creep up from the back of his throat.  
Paralyzed with fear you do nothing.  
The half-elf quickly throws up her right hand, “{Impenetrable Bulwark!}”  
And a golden wall erects itself in front of the two of you. The torrent of flame collides with the shield. Selina looks back to you, her gray hair sticking to her face and fixes you with her pale eyes, “GO!!”  
When you don’t move she grabs you by the arm, her nails digging into your skin and tosses you through the portal. You hit the ground and roll for a few feet. You push yourself up on your elbows and look back at her through the portal.  
“Selina!!!” you shout.  
She looks back at you, tears streaming down her face and then the fire engulfs her.  
“NOOOO!!!” you scream and bolt upright in bed.

You cover your mouth with your hand, “No,” you sob.  
You clutch at your arms and feel that they’re covered in cold sweat. Smoothing your fingers over your skin, there’s a weird texture to it. Breathing heavily you turn your head to look at your arm and see that it’s not sweat, it’s ice. With a gasp, you look around you and the ice is quickly spreading from your bed to the rest of the room. You jump out of bed and run to your bedroom door and pull it open. Rushing into the bathroom, you hurriedly pull the nightgown over your head and then slip out of your panties. You throw the shower curtain open and immediately turn the water in the tub as hot as it’ll go. Closing the shower curtain, you switch the water to the showerhead and stand under it. Looking down at yourself your entire body is covered in a thin layer of ice. You then sit at the bottom of the tub and hug your knees to your chest. Your breath is coming out in quick, cold puffs of air and the water hitting your back is turning to slush and collecting on the bottom of the tub. The icy slush clogs up the drain and begins to collect around you, threatening to overflow the tub. You have to get yourself under control. Looking at your cold breath you focus on that. Shakily you force yourself to inhale through your nose and hold it, then slowly, but shakily exhale through your mouth. You continue one breath after another. And as your breathing slows you look around you and notice the ice start to melt back into water. The ice around the drain melts away and the water starts to drain from the tub again. The ice from your skin begins to melt as well.  
You feel a burning on your back, “Ow!” you exclaim as you quickly scramble to your feet and to the other side of the shower, away from the scalding liquid. Spinning around and placing your back on the shower wall, you look at the faucet. Carefully you reach around the stream of water and turn the faucet back to cold and pull back quickly. After a bit you tentatively reach your fingers in to test it. And then adjust the water back again to a comfortably warm temperature. You finally step back into it. Turning around, you pull you hair away from the back of your neck and place your hands there. You feel the warm water cascade down your back and relax a little.  
You’re still a bundle of nerves, but it’s not what it was.

You stand there for a while and stare at the drain. You go to rub your eyes and find that there are frozen tears trailing down your cheeks. Turning around, you close your eyes and put your face under the water and rub at your face to get them to melt. When they finally do, you lower your head and open your eyes and turn off the water all together. You open the shower curtain and step out. You grab a towel and wrap it around your hair and then dry off your body with another one. You wrap it around you and rubbing your shoulders are satisfied with the warmth of your skin. Stepping out of the bathroom, you step in something cold and glance down.  
It’s an icy footprint. Your icy footprint.

You look to your bedroom and then walk to the open door, careful not to step in them. You try to flip on the light switch, but nothing happens. You flick it a few times, and then flip it to the off position. You carefully navigate through the darkness and find your phone next to your bed. Turning on the flashlight, you can see how far the ice has spread. It has completely covered your bed and the floor and crept partway up the walls, it doesn’t reach any of the outlets thankfully, and you turn and unplug the phone charger from the wall and set it on the bedside table. You walk over to your dresser and looking down let out a sigh.  
The clothes that were on the floor are now frozen to it. Great.  
You rummage through your dresser to see what’s left, you find: a clean pair of panties, a bralette in a complimentary color, a pair of fleece joggers, and Yes! Your favorite sweater. You walk to the bathroom and setting your towels in the hamper, put on the clothes. You rub your arms again and already feel warmer.  
You walk out of the bathroom and look back to your bedroom and then look towards the living room. Checking the time it’s four a.m. that agent won’t be here until eight. You grab a fistful of your hair behind your ear, but there’s no way you’ll be able to go back to sleep now. You sigh and walk back to your room and using the flashlight again, find your headphones. Then you walk to the living room, look at it a moment and then continue on to the kitchen. You turn the light on and look around. Seeing all the cabinets and drawers that are still open you walk forward and shut them as you go. You go to the sink and see that you left dirty dishes out. Grimacing you stop up the sink, pour some soap in, and fill it with water. After that’s done you turn to the fridge. Opening it you’re met with an awful smell. Oh right, you left week old takeout in here. Gross.  
You take the offending food and throw it in the trash. Then you reach into a cabinet pull down a box of baking soda, open it and put it in the fridge. You look at the milk and seeing that it’s still good, take it out. Grabbing a box of cereal and a bowl, you pour yourself some cereal. You grab a spoon and stop.  
You glance up at the ceiling.  
“With my eyes I will see, Unseen things wherever they may be,” you say.  
You feel your vision shift and the spot in the middle of the ceiling that you’re staring at; you see form a shoebox ducktaped to the ceiling.  
You smile and chuckle to yourself, “Didn’t find everything,” and you begin to eat your breakfast.

You finish eating and put your bowl and spoon in the sink. It’s too quiet in your apartment at this hour so you plug your headphones into your phone and try to play some music. When you’re not feeling any song you play, you switch to listen to a podcast instead. You walk into your living room and look around. You see the bookcase and walking over to it start to pick up the thrown books and put them back on the shelves. Then you put the couch cushions and pillows where they belong. You look to the broken picture frame and pick it up and set it face up on the coffee table. Then you carefully pick up the larger shards of glass and put them in the trash. You go and open the utility closet and pull out the vacuum. You think briefly how pissed your neighbors would be, but then shrug it off. You’re not cutting your foot open, just for the sake of being quiet. You vacuum up the remaining glass and then vacuum up all the soil on the floor. Turning it off, you empty it one final time. You pick the plants back up and stuff them into their proper pots, you have an entire bag of soil leftover and use that to cover them again. Then you give them each a little water, they’ve been neglected in your absence, and set them back near the window. You look around and nod to yourself, it looks much better. You put the vacuum up and pull down a spare blanket from the closet and close the door. You wrap it around yourself and walk around aimlessly. You spot your open bedroom door. You walk towards it and can feel a draft of cold air coming from it.  
You frown and shut the door.  
You turn off the light living room light, but leave the kitchen one on. You sit down on the couch and pull your legs up underneath you. You glance at your phone it’s only five fifteen. You look at your voicemail and pause the podcast you were listening to. And begrudgingly you start to go through them; you start with the oldest ones.

They’re all fairly routine at first, your coworkers asking you about boring office stuff, et cetera. Then you get to the first day you missed work and the where are yous? begin. At first, it seems a couple of your coworkers tried to cover for you. Your Mom asks you to call her back.

Then you get to the second day, Hey what’s going on? Is everything alright? Your Mom asks you to call her back again, wonders if you’re mad at her. Your boss gives you a warning.

Third day, federal agents from the Magic Task Force came by to ask questions, What did you do? Are you some kind of criminal? I always knew you were trouble. Did you get in over your head? Your boss says don’t bother coming into work, doesn’t want criminals on his payroll. Great you just got fired.  
Your Mom calls multiple times in an increasingly worried voice that’s anxiety inducing.

Fourth day, the only calls are from your Mom and she is very upset. There aren’t any more messages after this because your Mom filled the rest of the inbox. But you look at your missed calls and she kept calling anyway.  
Although on the fifth day she stopped, that’s weird.  
You’ve got a knot in your stomach from listening to all those messages, you unplug your headphones, you’ve got to call her. It’s five thirty but there is a couple of hours time difference so it should be okay to call her this early.

You dial the number for your Mom. She picks up almost immediately.  
“Hey Mom-“ you start to say.  
“Honey?!” she questions.  
“Oh Baby, I was so worried!!” she exclaims.  
You can hear her starting to get teary-eyed and it’s making you a little teary-eyed.  
“I’m fine,” you say.  
“I thought the worst, I tried calling, but you didn’t pick up and… and I was about to come down there and-“  
“Mom!” you exclaim, interrupting her, “I’m ok, alright I’m ok.”  
You wipe some of the tears out of your eyes.  
“You scared me half to death you know!” she scolds you. “Thinking my baby girl was gonna end up on the news!!” she continues.  
“I know I would’ve called but-“  
“But you were in the hospital I know,” she states.  
That catches you off guard.  
“What? How...how did you know that?” you ask, sniffling.  
“Well, that nice man called me about five days ago,” she continues.  
“Um…which one?” you question, trying to rack your brain to think who could’ve talked to your mother, “The doctor?”  
“Oh what was his name? Kan...Kando…” she says.  
“Kandomere,” you respond.  
“That’s the one!” she exclaims.  
You lower the phone for a moment and look to the side, tonguing your cheek.  
You put the phone back to your ear.  
“And he was so sweet!” she continues.  
“He told me how he was gonna take care of you-”  
“Did he tell you anything else?” you interject.  
“Just that you were in a car accident and had a couple of broken ribs,” she explains.  
So he didn’t mention anything about the Magic Task Force. Not surprising you suppose.  
“He’s taking care of me alright,” you say.  
“Honey? Is he? Is he your boyfriend?” your Mom asks.  
Oh God. No. Why?  
“Yes,” you reply.  
WHY? Why did you just say that?  
You could have said he was a friend, your boss, a kind stranger.  
She gasps. It’s too late now.  
“I didn’t even know you were dating anyone, you never tell me these things,” she says.  
“Well, I just wanted to make sure it was serious,” you say forcing a smile.  
“Is…is he an elf? Kandomere is an elf name right?” she questions.  
“Yeah, he is,” you respond.  
“Ooohh,” she squees, “Is he good looking? I mean he’s an elf he’s got to be right?”  
“He’s…actually very good looking,” you admit. Which is not wrong.  
“Does he treat you well?” she asks.  
You actually think about that seriously for a moment.  
Well, despite that Fucking Gorget.  
He’s actually been fairly patient and respectful. Especially, considering the fact that you’re a Bright and he’s a Magic Task Force agent and that alone should have made you his nemesis.  
“Yeah, he even visited me every day when I was in the hospital,” you say.  
“That’s good,” she replies, “Are you sure you don’t need me to come up there?”  
“I’m sure,” you say.  
You don’t want your mother anywhere near this mess. Not with that dragon and elf on the loose.  
“Besides, Kandomere and I actually live together,” you lie and immediately bite your thumb and smack yourself on the forehead.  
“Oh is he there? Can I say hi?” she asks.  
“No!” you say quickly, “I mean he’s asleep. It’s still early over here and he stayed up all night last night fussing over me. I don’t want to wake him.”  
“That’s so sweet of him, he sounds like a keeper,” she responds.  
“I’m actually gonna try to get some rest myself, so I’ll talk to you later,” you say.  
“Alright Honey, bye I love you,” she says.  
“I love you too, bye,” you say. And with that you hang up the phone.  
You just stare into space for a moment. You can’t believe you told her he was your boyfriend. Why would you do that? You let out a long sigh. 

You’re about to set the phone done and stop. Exhaling, you start to scroll through your contacts, looking for the elf’s phone number.  
You find it and raise your eyebrows.  
You were expecting him to put Special Agent in there, but it’s just… Kandomere.  
You don’t think he would take too kindly to being woken up by a phone call so you decide to leave him a text message instead. 

It reads: “Hey it’s not urgent, but I need to talk to you about something. Again, not urgent.”

You hit send.  
You’re about to set the phone down again when it starts vibrating in your hand. You glance at the caller id, it’s him.  
Oh no. Shit.  
You can’t ignore him, you just sent him a text.  
You inhale, and answer the phone, “Hello?”  
“Hello, you wished to speak with me,” he speaks in a calm voice.  
“Ah, I said it wasn’t urgent,” you respond. “Look I didn’t mean to wake you,” you start to apologize.  
“You didn’t,” he says simply, “I’m actually working.”  
You furrow your brows, “What are you doing at five a.m.?”  
“Paperwork,” he replies.  
“What are you doing up this early?” he asks.  
“Cleaning,” you respond.  
“May I ask why?” he questions.  
“May I ask why?” you parrot back to him.  
You hear him let out a small chuckle.  
“What is it you needed?” the elf asks.  
“Um…it’s about my mother,” you say.  
There’s a long pause.  
“Kandomere?”  
“We should discuss that in person. We can talk about it when Ulysses and I pick you up later,” he says.  
“Wait, Ulysses? And YOU’RE the one picking me up?” you question.  
“Oh, Montehugh is what you know him by. And yes,” he says.  
“Is that a problem?” the elf asks.  
“No,” you reply. It’s actually not; you would prefer those two over the other agents you’ve met, with the exception of maybe McTavish.  
“I’ll see you later then,” you say.  
“Goodbye,” he says.  
“Bye,” you reply and hang up the phone.

You end up drifting off to sleep on the couch. And you start to rouse when the light streams in through your window. Thankfully after talking to your mother and the elf you didn’t have anymore bad dreams. You didn’t have any dreams at all in fact.  
Rubbing your eyes you reach for your phone.  
Shit!  
They’ll be here in forty-five minutes and you’re not even dressed yet. You spring to your feet and put a pot of coffee on, while you go try to find some not frozen clothes. The stuff in your closet seems okay, although the door sticks a bit and you have to force it open. You decide to take a cue from McTavish and wear black dress pants, a short-sleeved, blue blouse, a pair of ballet flats, and a black cardigan.  
You leave your still frigid room and shut the door; it’s not going to bode well for you if they found out what happened last night.  
Thank God the footprints melted.

You head to the bathroom and brush your teeth and then try to fix your hair, it’s unkempt from your impromptu shower and sleeping on the couch. You decide to just put it in a bun and start on your makeup. You’re almost finished with your lipstick, when you hear a knock on the door. You check the time.  
Fuck! They’re early.  
You set it down and rush to the door. You look through the peephole to make sure and then unlock and unchain the door.  
“GentleMan, GentleElf,” you say, “Come in.”  
Kandomere cracks a small smile at you. The two stroll inside and you shut the door.  
“Coffee?" you ask.  
Montehugh frowns, shakes his head, and puts up a hand.  
“No, thank you,” Kandomere replies. You nod.  
“Hey, Kandomere could you help me with something real quick?” you ask and turn to walk into the kitchen. He gives you a curious look and as you turn your back to Montehugh, “It’s about my mother,” you whisper, knowing full well he can hear you.  
“Of course,” he replies and follows you.  
You reach into a cabinet and pull down a mug and pour yourself some coffee. As you lean back against the counter and take a sip, you look up at him.  
“You called my mother,” you begin.  
He looks down and then back up, “I did.”  
“You told her I was in the hospital, that I was in a car accident,” you continue.  
“You lied to her,” you say.  
He sighs and leans against the counter opposite you and crosses his arms, “I have to be careful with how many people know the truth, we still haven’t caught him not to mention the-“  
“But,” you interrupt.  
And the elf pauses and straightens again.  
“You also told her that you were gonna take care of me and she says you were really sweet,” you say.  
“Well, I wasn’t going to be rude to her. She was very upset and just wanted to know that you were alright,” Kandomere says.  
This was a strange elf you were beginning to realize.  
Not once has he looked down on you. He says things like “You may “and “No, thank you” and he seems to genuinely mean them. It’s not the fake nice or politeness you’d experienced before from elves. There’s no passive-aggressive comment or hostility.  
In fact male elves are some of the worst offenders for shitting on human women.  
“Why?” you ask quietly, “Why would you…”  
He studies you for a moment and shrugs, “Someone had to call her.”  
You huff a little, “But why YOU? You could have delegated that to anyone,” you say.  
“True, but I thought it would be best if I did it, to ease her fears. Although…” his brows furrow together. “She might think I’m your boyfriend now,” he remarks.  
Your eyes widen.  
“I know, I’m sorry,” Kandomere replies putting his hands up.  
“What would give her that idea?” you laugh nervously. You. You would. Apparently.  
He closes his eyes, crosses his arms, and shakes his head, “I don’t know, perhaps later I can better explain myself,” he continues.  
“No!” you say quickly, “That’s not necessary.”  
You put a hand on one of his crossed arms and look up at him, “You’ve done more than enough,” you say quietly.  
“For me,” you add.  
He stares into your eyes. There’s such an intensity in all his looks, but you’re not afraid of this one.  
He places a hand on top of yours, “And yet there is still more I must do,” he says softly.  
“I haven’t caught the one’s responsible for your attack,” he continues.  
You look away from him.  
“But I swear to you,” he says.  
You look back at him and his head is leaned towards yours.  
“I swear to you, I will personally bring this elf in,” Kandomere finishes.  
You don’t know what to say. You just wet your lips and slowly nod.  
His thumb starts to gently stroke your hand and the gesture catches your attention. He follows your gaze and stops, not seeming to have realized that he was doing it. You remove your hand gently and place it around your mug. You bring the cup to your lips and take another sip. As you remove your lips from the mug you notice a lipstick stain on it.  
“Oh, I haven’t finished doing my makeup yet,” you say.  
Kandomere smiles, “We’re not in a hurry.”  
You nod in acknowledgement and drain some more of your coffee from the cup. Then you walk out of the kitchen and pass Montehugh on your way to the bathroom. The big man has seated himself on your couch and is currently holding the broken picture frame. You walk into the bathroom and finish putting your lipstick on and do a quick check in the mirror. Then you turn the light off and step out; you check your pockets to make sure you’ve got your phone, keys, and id.  
“Alright, I’m ready,” you state.  
The elf is now holding the picture frame.  
“Good,” the big man says and stands up and walks to the door.  
“What happened here?” the elf asks.  
You were about to turn to the door when you stop. You just stare at him blankly.  
“As if you don’t know,” you finally say.  
He seems confused by your statement.  
You sigh, “When your guys searched my place, they broke it,” you say angrily.  
He looks at it and sets it down on the coffee table.  
“Look, let’s just go,” you say, pinching the bridge of your nose.  
Montehugh opens the door and the three of you walk out of your apartment. You close and lock the door, before the three of you head to the elevator. You take the elevator down and walk outside and follow the two to a black car. You notice that there’s no back door and groan a little. Montehugh opens the driver’s side door and pushes his seat forward, “Oh come on it’s not that bad.”  
“Says the guy who gets to sit in the front,” you say pointedly.  
You climb into the backseat and Montehugh adjusts the seat again and you scooch away, because the seat is pushed so far back it’s digging into your knees. But then Kandomere gets in and you realize that both of their seats are pushed back. You move to the hump in the middle and just glance between the two of them.  
“You know for two tall guys like you two, you sure like to drive around in a tiny car,” you say.  
“It’s a work car,” Montehugh replies.  
“Well, maybe the next one you get should have more leg room and an actual backseat,” you say.  
“Yeah, next time,” Montehugh huffs and pulls the car out into the street.

*******

“Where are we?” you ask as Montehugh puts the car in park.  
“You’ll see,” he says exiting the driver’s side.  
Kandomere then steps out of the passenger’s side and pushes his seat forward so you can get out. You start to climb out and he offers you a hand, you roll your eyes and ignore him. But its cramped in the backseat and you catch your foot on something and fall forward. The elf catches you easily and helps you to your feet. You look up at him and he raises an eyebrow at you. Glancing back down you realize your hands are on his forearms. You roll your eyes again and letting out an exasperated sigh, push yourself out of the elf’s arms. Turning to the left you catch a glimpse of Montehugh holding a briefcase on the sidewalk in front of you with both his eyebrows peeking up over his dark sunglasses. You walk past him but only make it a few steps before you stop. You have no idea where you’re supposed to be going.  
You turn to look at the two of them, “Well, come on,” you say, still hoping you were going in the right direction. Montehugh chuckles and puts a toothpick in his mouth and then walks in the direction you were headed. The three of you walk past a bunch of shops until eventually Montehugh stops in front of one. 

There’s an old faded sign above it that reads: ‘Antiques, Curiosities, and More.’ The man opens the door and walks in, and holding the door open for you, you enter the shop with Kandomere following close behind. They’re intentionally boxing you in once again, so you can’t back out of this. The bell above the door rings when the three of you enter and looking up, you notice the door is about eight and a half feet tall and four feet wide. The lighting inside is rather dim and looking up towards the ceiling, it’s much higher up than you expected, at about fourteen feet.  
And the entire room of the shop is packed floor to ceiling with stuff.  
There’s antique mirrors and old paintings lining the wall, there’s furniture piled about, glass cabinets filled with everything from jewelry and porcelain figures to armored gauntlets and old military helmets. You have to step carefully to avoid stepping on the stacks of old books in various pillars in the walkways. Behind the counter a curtain is pulled back and an elderly Brezzik dressed in loose flowy, clothes walks out. The Brezzik cranes his long neck up from his hunched form and watches you curiously.  
He chuckles, “Banathar, does not get many of your kind in here,” he speaks in a deep, raspy voice, cocking his head in the direction of Kandomere.  
“But all are welcome here,” he gestures outwards with his clawed hands.  
“Now how may, Banathar, be of service?” he asks, slowly entwining his fingers on the glass counter. The three of you approach the counter and Montehugh and Kandomere step to either side of you and pull out their credentials.  
“We got an anonymous tip that there are some magic items in your shop,” Montehugh explains.  
Banathar looks to both of them and slowly blinks.  
Not seeming perturbed in the slightest that the Magic Task Force agents are here in his place of business. The Brezzik towers over all of you at seven and a half feet. His dark green scales have faded in places with age, but his yellow eyes are still as sharp as ever.  
“You’re more than welcome to have a look around,” he waves a clawed hand, “but as, Banathar, told the last agents that visited this shop and the ones before them, Banathar, does not deal in magic artifacts,” he says, shaking his head.  
His eyes move to you and he cocks his head to the side abruptly.  
“You my, dear, do not look like an agent,” Banathar states.  
“Consultant,” you say confidently.  
The Brezzik lifts his head, “Ahhh,” he says.  
Montehugh looks over his shoulder at you, mildly impressed by your lie.  
“Banathar, hopes the pay is good for dragging you all the way out here for nothing,” he says.  
“Not good enough,” you joke, rolling your eyes.  
Banathar lets out a low, throaty chuckle.  
He shakes a clawed finger in your direction, “Banathar, likes you.”  
Kandomere looks to you, “Do you see anything that stands out?” he asks, gesturing to the glass case that makes up the counter, the Brezzik is leisurely leaning on. This case is mostly filled with the more valuable items such as: gold and silver jewelry, a few gemstones not much bigger than a grape, a couple of ornate daggers, and an exquisite looking silver-haired brush with a golden handle.  
Banathar notices you eyeing it and says, “Unicorn hair.”  
You examine the brush closer and notice there’s a faint, opalescent gleam to it. The handle even has unicorns embellished on it in silver. Surrounding the brush is an assortment of unicorn themed jewelry from necklaces to rings.  
“Unicorn jewelry is always a favorite among Human Ladies,” Banathar explains.  
You smile up at him. And that’s when you notice something…familiar looking in a wooden case with a glass panel on one of the shelves behind him.  
Furrowing your brows, “What’s that?” you ask, pointing at it.  
He turns his head to look up at it and then turns his head back to you slightly and you see the nictitating membrane move across his eye. The Brezzik smiles wide revealing his large, pointed teeth; that put even an elf’s to shame.  
“You have a good eye,” he whispers, “Banathar, can see why they hired you.”  
There’s a glint in his eyes as he reaches up and picks it up, then he turns to you and gingerly sets it on the counter. 

Resting on the red velvet interior of the case is a large, petal shaped object roughly the size of your head. You lean both your elbows on the counter and stare at it open-mouthed. It has a soft gradient where it goes from brown to a light yellow.  
“Is this what I think it is?” you ask, looking up at him.  
Kandomere is now looking at it as well, brows furrowed.  
“Indeed it is,” Banathar replies.  
“This scale is from, Banathar’s own personal collection,” he says, dipping his head down and placing a hand with splayed fingers slowly on his chest.  
“Banathar, came across it many years ago, searching for an amulet outside this city,” he continues. “There, Banathar, was tiredly digging in the ground having found no treasures to bring home,” he shakes his head sadly, and slumps his shoulders.  
“When suddenly, Banathar, hears this loud, thunderous roar, which gave, Banathar, quite a fright,” he says, placing his fingertips on his chest. “Banathar, looks and looks,” his head darts around, “But, Banathar, cannot find what made the sound, but then,” and he holds up a clawed finger and cocks the side of his head upward. “Banathar, hears this sound, this pulsing, flapping sound, so, Banathar, looks up,” he tilts his head straight up. “And that’s when, Banathar, sees him,” he says.  
You smile, “The L.A. Dragon.”  
He points at you, “Precisely.”  
The Brezzik flattens out a hand and moves it over his head, “Ol’ Angelo soars straight over, Banathar’s head and, Banathar, is so delighted, but then,” his eyes go wide and he holds up both his hands. “Something falls from Ol’ Angelo and drifts down towards the ground,” he makes a fluttery motion with one of his hands.  
“The scale,” you answer.  
He nods, bobbing his head up and down excitedly. “So what does, Banathar, do? Banathar, gathers all of, Banathar’s things and quickly runs in the direction of the scale. It takes, Banathar, several hours of looking, but just before nightfall, Banathar, finds it,” he finishes, gesturing proudly to the case in front of him.  
“That’s amazing,” you reply.  
The Brezzik smiles again. He looks at it, admiring it and says, “One never forgets the first time they see a dragon up close.”  
Your smile drops, “Yeah, never,” you whisper.  
Your eyes are fixed on the scale in front of you, when you feel the elf’s fingertips brush your arm. You turn to him and you see a tiny crack in his otherwise calm and confident façade. His eyes fix you with a look of concern, that asks if you’re okay with continuing?  
You nod slightly and the mask returns once more to grace his handsome features. But his hand is still on your arm and he squeezes lightly, then slowly lets go.  
“Hey! What’s this?” Montehugh asks from across the store, who had wandered off when Banathar had started telling his story.  
“Hm?” the Brezzik looks up and then takes the case and sets it back up on the shelf before going over to Montehugh.  
You watch Kandomere out of the corner of your eye and after a few moments he eventually breaks the silence. “We should look around the rest of the place,” he says.  
You nod, “Yeah,” you speak quietly.

The two of you walk around looking at everything, but after about fifteen minutes conclude that there’s nothing here.  
“Well, it looks like you’re clean,” Montehugh sighs.  
“See? It is as, Banathar, told you,” Banathar says.  
“Alright, well come on, Princess, we best-FUCK!” Montehugh trips and stumbles into a suit of armor.  
But as the armor falls a reptilian tail lashes out and catches it. The Brezzik bares his teeth and lets out a low hiss.  
You see Kandomere across the room put a hand on his right hip.  
Banathar’s tail easily pushes the armor back into a standing position. He glowers, mouth closed at Montehugh for a moment. “Be careful,” he hisses.  
“If you break it you buy it,” he says.  
“Look it was an accident,” Montehugh counters, “You shouldn’t have so much crap all over the floor!”  
“Bah!” the Brezzik throws his hands up and turns away.  
Kandomere relaxes and straightens his jacket.  
Then his head turns and he catches you watching him, you tighten your jaw and turn away from him. In that brief glimpse under his jacket, you saw what was on his hip. Pushing your hair behind your ear, you sigh and walk over to one of the walls to look at some of the paintings, while Banathar and Montehugh continue to argue about the value of antiques. You’re looking at one painting depicting a kraken sinking a ship, and when you move closer to get a better look…you feel this immediate thrumming energy. You step back in shock and glance back at it. You still feel the pulsing emanating from it, weird…the painting doesn’t look magical. You step forward and carefully reach a hand out.  
You touch the painting and…nothing happens.  
Huh. The energy’s still there.  
Slowly you move your hand across the surface, noticing a tear in the canvas, you move to grab it.  
There’s a bright flash of light and you squeeze your eyes shut. Your hand is ripped away from the painting. Blinking rapidly, you see through your spotty vision, Kandomere standing there.  
You hadn’t even heard him creep up on you.  
“What the Shit!” you hear Montehugh exclaim from the other side of the room.  
The elf is intently focused on the painting and as leans towards it, he finally lets go of your wrist. You pull away from him and glare at him, rubbing your wrist.  
“Whatta we got, boss?” Montehugh questions as he strolls over, Banathar following behind. Kandomere doesn’t answer, he merely reaches out and grabs the large painting and lifts it off the wall. When he removes it, all of you can see the gaping hole in the wall behind it. It’s a small square hole, at the bottom of which sits an even smaller leather pouch.  
The elf then looks to Montehugh who sighs and opens up the briefcase he brought on an old nearby desk. In it are several different compartments of varying size with glass lids built into the case. He pulls out a pair of black padded gloves and puts them on. You look to Banathar who’s standing behind you and his mouth is agape, he seems…confused.  
Montehugh walks over and carefully lifts the pouch up and slowly opens it.  
He looks inside and frowns.  
Holding it over to Kandomere, the elf looks and…also frowns.  
“What is it?” you ask.  
They both look at you and Montehugh reaches into the bag and pulls out an old, small, black key. And as he holds it in his palm for you to look at you feel the energy get stronger.  
It’s almost singing now.  
Calling to you.  
“Put it back in the bag,” you say quickly, unable to keep your fear from creeping into your voice. Kandomere looks at you and furrows his brows and then looks to Montehugh and nods. Montehugh slips it back into the pouch and pulls the drawstring tight.  
You exhale the breath you’d been holding in.  
The magic from the key is still there but it’s quieter now.  
Montehugh then takes the pouch and puts it in one of the compartments in the case and after taking off the gloves and stowing them, closes it.  
You breathe a sigh of relief, the magic is only a faint vibration now.  
“You don’t deal in magic artifacts huh?” Montehugh questions.  
Banathar’s eyes go wide, “Ban-Banathar, has no idea how it got in there! Or who tore a hole in Banathar’s wall!” he exclaims, looking at the wall indignantly.  
“Yeah, sure Pal,” Montehugh says sarcastically.  
As the agents’ attention turns to the Brezzik, you move closer to the wall. With the key now gone you’re free to inspect it.  
“You need to come with us,” Kandomere says.  
Banathar gasps, “Banathar, is going nowhere, Banathar built this shop, this is Banathar’s home.”  
Examining the hole, you notice the wall on this side is old. It has water damage and it’s clear from the color of the wall that the painting has been hanging on it for quite some time. Touching the edges of the inside, it’s not been torn out; it’s a clean cut.  
“Listen, don’t make this harder on yourself,” Montehugh states.  
“Banathar, is staying here, where, Banathar belongs,” the Brezzik responds.  
You place your hand on the neighboring wall, the one beyond Banathar’s.  
It’s new.  
“Wait!” you exclaim.  
All three of them look to you, “I don’t think Banathar had anything to do with the key!”  
“What do you mean?” Kandomere asks.  
You ignore the elf and turn to the Brezzik, “Banathar, who owns the shop next door?”  
He looks down and thinks, “Banathar, does not know, Banathar, has never seen them, Banathar, only knows someone owns it, because of all the noise they make,” he explains.  
“Noise?” Montehugh questions.  
“Always doing work in the middle of the night keeping, Banathar, up,” he explains.  
You look to Montehugh, “The wall on the other side is new.”  
He walks over to examine at it and after knocking on it, turns back to you, “It’s pretty solid,” he admits.  
“See? I think Banathar is innocent,” you say.  
“Thank you,” Banathar says, nodding his head to you.  
Now Kandomere walks over to where he set the painting down and runs his fingers over the canvas. He finds the tear and pulls at it and you can see what you couldn’t before. It’s a horizontal cut in the painting. The elf examines it some more and finds a couple of similar cuts roughly the shape of the hole.  
“She’s right. Someone cut through the opposite side. And then tried to implicate the Brezzik,” Kandomere says.  
“It is as, Banathar, said, Banathar, does not deal in magic artifacts,” the Brezzik says.  
“Well, it looks like we need to find out who runs the shop next door then,” Montehugh says. “Besides we need to care of this bad boy,” he adds, patting the case.  
The three of you start to walk out the door.  
“Banathar, does not wish to see you in, Banathar’s, shop again!” he yells after you.  
You turn to look at him, and he holds a hand out to you, “Except for you, dear, you are welcome anytime,” he says. You smile at him and step out onto the sidewalk.


	4. Tear of Sorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: language, petrified dismemberment (non-bloody, non-gorey, think of the elf woman in the wall and the shield of light guys), grief, trauma  
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}

“You had an update on the key?” Kandomere asks strolling into the arcane researchers lab.  
“I did,” the other elf speaks calmly.  
He is already wearing a pair of black gloves and is seated comfortably at his station. The researcher has the black key placed in front of him.  
“What can you tell us about it?” Montehugh asks.  
The researcher’s gaze calmly shifts to him, “Well, the key is old, several hundred years for certain. And it is made out of obsidian,” he says, picking it up and holding it to his eye. Kandomere can see where the light catches it, that it’s translucent in places. The other elf continues to turn it slowly and then gingerly places it in the flat of his palm.  
“Alright, what about the magic? What’s it enchanted with?” Montehugh inquires, gesturing at it. The researcher looks between the two of them. “I have found that it is impervious to fire, but other than that…let’s just say you should be far more worried about what it opens,” he says.  
“And what might that be?” Kandomere asks.  
The other elf jostles the key in his hand slightly. He then picks it up and gently places it back down on the desk. “A lockbox, and judging by it’s size, I’d say a jewelry lockbox,” the researcher finishes.  
Their Bright had mentioned looking for a necklace. And the Brezzik shop keep had mentioned searching for an amulet years ago.  
“Could the jewelry in question be an amulet?” Kandomere offers.  
“An amulet would definitely be worthy of such magical protection. Though there are more than a few different stories and rumors about the ones that supposedly lie in and around the city,” the researcher responds. Montehugh looks at Kandomere and then slowly looks at the other elf, “What about one’s involving dragons?”  
“Dragons?” the researcher asks intrigued.  
The topic of dragons keeps coming up.  
“Why the most notable amulet rumored to be on the outskirts of the city is the Amulet of the Dragon,” he answers.  
“You said it’s made of obsidian, obsidian is also called ‘dragon glass’ if I’m not mistaken,” Montehugh coments.  
“You are correct,” the researcher replies. “How interesting,” he then states, looking back down at the key.  
“If the amulet is in the lockbox and we have the key, then where is the amulet?” Kandomere questions.  
The other elf sighs, “Unfortunately, no one knows for certain, many have tried searching for it and failed. There are even some historians who believe it never left Europe after all. If this key is connected to it, then this may be the most solid lead on its whereabouts anyone has had in a long time.”  
“What does it do?” Montehugh asks.  
“A great many things: creation and manipulation of fire, augmentation of magic, understanding of Draconic, it is even said one can communicate with dragons over long distances and even command them,” the researcher continues.  
“Command over such a creature would entice many ill-willed individuals in to finding it,” Kandomere says.  
“Indeed,” the researcher responds, nodding in agreement.  
“I wish there was more evidence to support this claim. If you want answers, you may unfortunately, just have to wait and see,” the other elf says coolly.  
“Have it placed back in containment when you’re finished. We don’t want word we have it slipping out,” Kandomere says.  
“Certainly,” the researcher replies.   
And with that the two leave him to his work.

*******

You step on to the elevator next to an orcish woman and are about to push the button for your floor when you notice it’s already lit up. You adjust the laundry basket to sit on your hip as the elevator doors close.   
It took about two days and a lot of effort with a hairdryer to get your clothes to unthaw. Since you froze everything in your room you’ve been sleeping on the couch. Though, you’ve been staying awake as long as possible, only drifting off to sleep when you were too exhausted to keep your eyes open any longer.   
And since you were finally able to pry the last t-shirt off the floor this morning, you’ve spent most of your Saturday going back and forth washing all your clothes and bedding.  
“What are you reading?” a voice asks.  
You turn to the woman next to you and then look back down at the two books on top of your pile of clean clothes.  
“Oh! Just a couple of books about different fairytales and legends,” you answer.  
The orcish woman in the studded leather jacket, band tee, and ripped jeans, nods at you, “Cool.”  
“Any good ones?” she asks.  
You think for a moment, “Oh yes! There’s this one called the ‘Tear of Sorrow,’” you say.  
The elevator door opens and the two of you step out.  
“It’s about this woman who saves this child who was cursed by a witch and turned to stone,” you continue.  
She nods, seemingly interested in the story.  
“And she saves her by shedding this tear and letting it fall from her cheek into the child’s eyes,” you say.  
“Woah,” she responds.  
“Yeah and then the stone slowly fades from the child and the curse is broken,” you finish.  
“That’s so cool I’m gonna have to read that one,” she says.  
The two of you round the corner into another hallway, “It should be pretty easy to find online, although if you want to read the other ones the book is called, ‘ From the Magic Within Us and Whence It Came’ and the other is ‘Dawn of Magic,’’ you explain.  
She nods, “Nice, thanks.”  
“No problem,” you reply.  
She stops at her door and gets her keys out, you keep walking to your apartment which is a few doors down from hers.   
“Oh Hey! My name’s Torva by the way,” she calls after you.  
You stop and give her your name.  
The two of you nod and you continue to your door.

You put the key in the lock and start to open the door, when you hear your name being called. You look over as Torva comes up to you.  
“Hey, I know it’s none of my business, but,” she begins and then pauses trying to find the right words.   
“You smell Really Fucking Sad,” she says.  
Your face falls and your shoulders droop.  
“Yeah I…my Aunt died recently,” you say.  
Torva gives a sympathetic look, “I’m so sorry, that’s awful,” she responds.  
You give a little shrug.   
“How did she die?” she asks.  
“Listen, I don’t want to dump all of this on you,” you state.  
“No, I asked, was it at least peacefully like in her sleep or something?” Torva questions.  
You open your mouth slightly and feel your eyes start to get watery and that choking sensation at the back of your throat. “No, actually,” you say, “She was murdered.”  
Torva looks at you shocked, “Holy shit! I-Are you okay?! What am I saying?! Of course you’re not okay!” she exclaims.  
“See, I didn’t want to put any of this on you,” you say a little choked up.  
“Did they at least catch the guy who did it?” Torva asks.  
You sigh, “The feds are still looking into it,” you say downtrodden.  
“The feds? Shit, that sounds serious,” she says quieter this time.  
You nod, “Look, I’m just gonna,” you gesture with the laundry basket to your door.  
“Right,” she starts to turn away and then turns back, “Look, I’m really fucking sorry that this horrible situation has happened to you and your Aunt. If you need anything I’m right down the hall. Me and the boyfriend were actually about to go to a Fogteeth party if you wanted to come?”  
“No, that’s alright. Thank you for the offer, I’ve just got a lot of laundry to do,” you say gesturing with the basket in your arms.   
“Ok,” she says backing away slowly, “If you’re sure.”  
“I am,” you reply.  
She turns away finally and you open your door set the laundry basket down, close and lock the door, then pick up the basket again. You set it on the coffee table and then sit down on the couch and put your face in your hand and cry.

You continue to cry for about fifteen minutes and then finally feel it start to subside. You go to the bathroom and blow your nose and wash your face with some warm water. Then you go and sit back on the couch and turn on the tv and start folding your laundry. Even after you’re done you continue to sit in front of the tv for about two hours. You stand up to stretch and head to the kitchen and fix yourself a glass of water.   
As you sip it, you stare at the brown package sitting on your counter that had been delivered earlier. You didn’t order anything recently and you can’t think of who would have sent you something. You had determined earlier upon receiving it that it wasn’t dangerous. A quick danger sense spell had told you that much.   
But you still had no idea what it was.  
Setting down your glass, you reach into a drawer and pull out a pair of scissors. You approach the package and cut the tape on it. Setting the scissors down you pry open the cardboard box. You frown.  
You start to try to pull out the massive block of styrofaom. After a few tries, you manage to wiggle it out of the box. When you pull it free a piece of paper falls out and onto the floor. You set the Styrofoam block down and pick up the piece of paper. You turn it over and on it, it has typed: To replace the one that broke.  
You knit your brows together and set the note on the counter. You use the scissors again and cut the tape holding the block together. You pull it apart and stare mouth agape at the new picture frame.  
You run your fingers over the pristine glass.  
Pulling it out you walk back to the living room and compare it to the one still sitting on the coffee table. It’s the same size, has the same matte, and the wood of the frame is the same black color as well. The only real difference is the one you’re holding is a lot nicer than your old one. You set the new frame on the couch and set to work removing the family photo from the old frame. You put the photo in the new frame and note that it’s a wire hanging frame, how very old fashioned. You move to the spot on the wall where it was hanging and put it up.   
You look at it a moment and then step back. It looks good. Really good.  
And you’re a little mad about it.  
No doubt this was the elf’s doing. You remember he had held it and looked at it when he was in your apartment. Honestly, the fact that he remembered what size it was and then had it shipped in two days is what’s throwing you for a loop. I mean he had given no inclination that he was going to replace it for you. 

You hear your phone vibrating on the table and go to pick it up.  
You don’t look at the caller id before hitting answer.   
“Hey I can’t believe you-“ you start to say.  
“Hey, just a heads up we’re coming to get you,” a gruff voice says interrupting you.  
“What?” you ask confused.  
“It’s like ten o’ clock at night,” you counter.   
“Yeah, well somethin’ happened and we need your…expertise,” Montehugh says.  
You swallow, “Like what?”  
He sighs, “We’ll explain when we get there. We’ll be at your place in ten, probably eight the way boss is drivin’,” he responds.  
“Alright, bye,” you say, putting a hand over your face.  
“Bye,” he replies and hangs up.  
You rub your eyes and head to your room and grab the clothes hanging in your closet, that you had laid out previously in case the two agents wanted you for something else. You head to the bathroom and quickly get ready. You put your hair up again and instead of wearing flats like last time, opt for a pair of black boots. They look a little out of place on your outfit, because they’re an older, more worn pair, but they’re covered by your pant legs for the most part. You have no idea where they’re taking you this time, but if something happens you want to be able to run if you need to. You turn off the tv and gather your stuff.   
There’s a knock on your door.  
You look through the peephole and open it when you see that it’s Montehugh. You look around for the elf, but don’t see him. You step out and close and lock the door.   
“Where’s Kandomere?” you ask.  
“He’s down in the car,” Montehugh replies, as the two of you begin walking.   
When you get to the car you notice that this time it’s the elf driving. He nods to you as you climb in the backseat. 

“Oh hey, you’ll need this,” Montehugh says reaching into the glove box, after you’ve started heading to your destination.  
He pulls something out and hands it to you. You take a moment to examine it under the passing streetlights. It’s a clip on id badge with your name and picture on it.  
It says “Magic Consultant.”  
“That should keep anybody off your back, although you’ll be with us the whole time,” he explains. “You have like no clearance. Just so we’re clear,” he adds.  
You look up, “You still haven’t told me…where we’re going…” you trail off.  
As you look up in time to see the car approaching the elven district. Kandomere stops at the checkpoint, flips out a badge and says, “Federal business, Magic Task Force.” The man immediately waves you all through.

After a bit the elf turns off the main road and continues on deeper into the elven district. There’s a growing knot in your stomach. You haven’t been here in over a week, but you know that HE has to be here. You grow more worried that’s what this is about, that is until you reach your destination.   
Then you’re worried about something else entirely.  
There’s red and blue flashing lights from police and ambulances as well as a number of federal agents that have already set up a perimeter around the building keeping bystanders out. Montehugh puts an elbow on the seat to turn and stare at you. You make eye contact with him.  
“Listen, I’m not gonna sugar coat this. It’s not gonna be a pretty sight, there are a lot of people that were killed in this nightclub and we still don’t have the full count. One of the reasons we need you is because if that elf did this, chances are he could show up in the crowd. Killers often come back to the scene of the crime,” he says. “We don’t know for certain if he did it,” Montehugh adds quickly, putting a hand up, as your expression turns to panic.  
“Just IF, and IF he does we’ll protect you,” he continues.  
You’re not entirely convinced of that. If he’s found a way to open the lockbox, there’s very little anyone could do to stop him.  
“What’s the other reason?” you ask quietly.  
“Well, we thought maybe you could do some actual consulting,” Montehugh replies. “See what you could tell us about who or what did it,” he finishes.   
He opens his door and Kandomere opens his.  
Montehugh pushes the seat forward and he helps you get out. You don’t decline the offer for help this time, your thoughts a little more preoccupied. 

As the doors to the car slam shut and the elf makes his way around the car, Montehugh says, “If you need to leave at any point you let us know.”  
Kandomere nods at you.   
Both of their expressions are serious.  
You nod, “Alright.”  
You take a deep breath and the three of you walk to the roped off crime scene. You’ve clipped your id to your cardigan and the federal agent near the barricades recognizes the two you’re with and let’s you all pass. You walk up the stone steps and an agent meets you all at the door.  
“Sir,” she says in acknowledgement of the elf.   
She briefly looks at you and then turns around, “Everyone follow me and please step in the designated areas.”  
‘Designated areas?’ You mouth.  
The grand entryway is mostly clean and is where a lot of different people have set up shop with their kits and the evidence they’ve already bagged and are preparing for transport.  
But as you pass them and get closer, the woman starts pointing out different spots to step and you follow between Montehugh and Kandomere with the elf in front.   
And at first you’re confused, because the spots that are numbered and marked just look like dust. That is until you walk through the final door into the ballroom and turn to see a broken stony arm still clutching the door handle. The broken pieces of the elven man it belonged to are not far, lying scattered on the floor. You breathe in shakily and then look forward again and your eyes widen, at the dozens of bodies scattered throughout the room.

To your dismay it’s getting harder to step around them all as you near the epicenter. Finally, you get to a place where you all can stand and you look back at all of them. There’s no blood, and despite the fact that every one you’ve seen is dismembered or their torso is separated from the rest of them, it’s just plain stone on the inside. In fact the only thing giving away that they’re actually elves and not statues is how real they look. That and their faces of sheer terror.   
It’s clear that most of them had attempted to flee, and had turned to stone mid-run and fallen. Which is why they were in so many broken pieces. Their heads also seem to have been facing upwards if the way their necks are craned on some of them is any indication.  
“Hey, you ok?” Montehugh asks.  
You turn to him and he and the elf are both looking at you concerned.  
It’s then, that you realize how fast you’re breathing.  
You inhale, hold it, and then exhale.  
“I’m fine,” you lie.  
The big man walks over to you and puts a hand on your shoulder, “If you need to step outside,” he begins.  
You look around again.  
“Um…petrification, stone variant. Some of them are looking up so not a basilisk or a cockatrice,” you say quietly.  
He glances around and nods solemnly, then looks back to you, “So a Bright then.”  
He removes his hand and the three of them turn away for a moment.  
And as you exhale through your mouth, you see a puff of cold air.  
You instantly cover your face with your hand and try to make it look like you were rubbing your nose. And then spot on the inside of your hand a layer of frost on your palm, you clench both of your fists. You need to calm down.  
You focus your attention on Kandomere.  
On the way he moves, the way his hair falls as he turns his head, how his eyes sweep carefully over the room, his keen vision trying to pick apart anything that could help him. He steps into the middle of the room, shoes clacking on the hardwood floor in the silence. You step carefully over to Montehugh, who is also watching the elf. As Kandomere pivots back and forth a bit in the epicenter, his attention falls on the elf that was closest to the spell. You knit your brows together; with everything else going on in the room you hadn’t noticed this individual.

His face is expressionless as he regards the other elf. He leans down as he tilts his head back and forth. The elf is on their knees and has a hand raised in front of their face as if they tried to shield themselves. The elf in question also seems to be the only one in the room still intact.   
There’s a brief pained expression on Kandomere’s face and had you not been watching him so closely, you might have missed it. But then just like that it’s gone again.

He looks to Montehugh; takes a step back and then thrusts his hand into the air. He looks at his hand, then back at Montehugh and smirks.  
The fuck.  
Montehugh just stares at him and raises his shoulders slightly and shakes his head.  
Well, at least you’re not the only one who didn’t catch that.  
Kandomere blinks a few times, gives the man a frustrated look and gestures with his hand in the air again.   
“Ya gotta give me something to go off of, boss,” Montehugh says.  
You look at Kandomere and then glance back at the bodies behind you. Your eyes fall on an elf whose head is upturned.   
You turn your attention back to Montehugh, “Hold on, I speak elf.”  
Kandomere lowers his hand and frowns at you, “You mean Övüsi?”  
“No,” you and Montehugh reply.  
“He’s saying someone used a magic item and held it up,” you explain.  
“Right, that’s why they were looking up,” Montehugh responds.  
Kandomere’s gaze fixes on you and he slowly nods.  
“So we’re probably not looking for a wand, but it still needs to be something you could hold,” Montehugh speaks as he starts jotting some notes down.   
“Something like a staff maybe?” you offer.  
“Eh, not usually an elf’s style,” he says making a wavering motion with his hand.  
“But a silver cane could be a possibility,” he continues.  
Kandomere makes his way back over to the two of you and starts to offer some suggestions as well. 

As their attention shifts from you, yours shifts to the elf. You glance back at them and Montehugh is absorbed in his writing, while Kandomere’s back is to you. The woman from earlier is busy talking to another agent on the far side of the room. You carefully step where Kandomere did earlier over to the kneeling elf. Once you make it to the epicenter you examine them closer.  
Your heart sinks when you see that she’s a female elf.  
And seeing the look of pure fear on her face as her mouth is opened in a wordless cry, is made all the more worse by the fact that she’s a woman.  
Something like this almost happened to you.  
And did happen to Selina.  
If only there was something you could do…  
Wait.  
Maybe there is.  
You remember that fairytale you had read earlier. You take a moment to examine her, you don’t see any cracks or breaks in the stone, it looks like being the closest to the spell is ironically what might have saved her. You look back over at Montehugh and Kandomere, then you look around the room. Everyone seems to be preoccupied at the moment.  
And you may only get one shot at this.   
In your nervousness you’re trying to remember exactly how the spell went. Okay so the tear has to fall from your cheek into her eyes. Her eyes are open and you can maneuver your head past her arm, ok good. What else?  
It has to be a tear shed of true sorrow. The kind you would shed for the loss of someone. Which considering the enormous amount of loss of life of the individuals in this room, and your own personal loss of your Aunt, is…more than doable.

So you stare into the elf’s eyes and focus on your pain. You squeeze your eyes shut and then relax them. And when you open your eyes you feel a single tear start to fall from your right eye. You put your face above hers and try to tilt your head so that the tear falls in her eye. Which is more difficult in practice, because her arm is in front of her face. Your face is still like half a foot away and in the fairytale the woman had laid her face on the child’s.  
God, you hope you don’t miss.  
But as the tear nears your chin you see a soft white glow and it’s drawn, magically so, directly into the elven woman’s left eye when it falls. You pull back and stare.  
You watch as the elven woman’s stony lids close, and the glowing tear, falls from her eye and down her cheek. Then it sinks in and the skin where it was is pink again.  
And slowly it spreads outward and across her face, and as it starts to reach her shoulders, she takes a breath and opens her eyes. Her eyes are no longer stone, they’re the pale grey they’re supposed to be. She blinks slowly.  
And then immediately screams.

Kandomere and Montehugh immediately whirl around and so does everybody else in the room. You look back at her and her eyes are darting around in a panic. You focus briefly on all the bodies in the background if she moves…  
“Stop! Don’t try to move!!” you shout.  
Her eyes are fixed on her still stone arm as she starts to hyperventilate.  
“{Look at me!!}” you yell in Övüsi.  
Her eyes fix on you.  
You kneel in front of her, “{Don’t move okay? You’re going to be fine, okay,}” you tell her. “{Deep breaths alright? Do it with me,}” you say.  
“{Inhale through your nose,}” you take a big inhale, she follows suit. “{Hold it, and then slowly out through your mouth,}” you say exhaling.   
“{Again, Inhale, and Exhale,}” you say.  
“{Inhale…Exhale}” you repeat.  
You get her to do several more breaths. Your eyes flicker to the rest of her and the last bit of stone fades from her feet.   
“{Now you can move,}” you say.  
She tries to stand up and you have to grab her to help steady her.  
“{Slowly,}” you say.  
She grabs onto your arms and you help her stand. Usually elves are graceful predatory creatures, but with the way her legs wobble on her heels, she looks more like a frightened deer stuck on an ice floe in a pond.  
Kandomere tries to move forward to help, but she immediately lets out a yelp and shrinks away from him. The elf woman just holds onto you as her head darts around to all the bodies and she starts to cry.  
“{Uh..let’s go outside,}” you say.   
Kandomere understanding you, gestures for the woman from earlier to help escort you out. The two of you carefully help the blonde elven woman out of the ballroom. You have to put your hands on the side of her face like blinders when she starts to wail louder at some of the dead elves she passes. Whether it’s because she’s now seeing them up close or she recognizes them, you’re not sure. Eventually, it gets a little easier to walk once you all make it to the entryway. The female agent helps you escort her outside and calls over EMS. A couple of them rush over to the elven woman, but as they try to usher her away, she holds onto your arm tight.  
“{NO! PLEASE!! Don’t Leave Me!!}” she wails.  
“{It’s alright I’ll come with you,}” you say.  
“She wants me to come with her,” you translate to them.  
They nod.  
And you all walk over to the ambulance. They do a few quick checks on her vitals and examine her for any injuries, there are a couple of scrapes on her knees but other than that, everything checks out. She’s still a bit in shock and they give her a blanket. She hasn’t stopped speaking in Övüsi and any time they asked her a question, you had to translate for her. She just hugs you and stares into space as tears slowly trail down her face. You just hold onto her and try to comfort this woman who is very much like that small child in the story right now.   
The night air is a little chilly as the two of you sit on the edge of the ambulance. She shivers and though it doesn’t bother you much, you remember that elves have a lower body temperature than humans. It’ why so many of them live in L.A. it’s warm year round. It’s also why Kandomere can wear a three-piece suit in the middle of the afternoon and not break a sweat.   
You hug her tighter, “{Can you tell me your name?}”   
She sniffles, “Fayleth.”   
You spot Kandomere and Montehugh walking out of the building and then being pointed in your direction.  
“{Fayleth, do you think you could answer a few questions?}” you ask.  
She nods.  
The two agents approach and Fayleth flinches when she sees Kandomere. Who notices and hangs back behind Montehugh. The man’s eyes dart to you and then to the elven woman.  
“{Fayleth, this is Agent Montehugh and Special Agent Kandomere, they’re friends of mine and here to help,}” you explain.  
She looks up at Montehugh and then nervously shifts her glance to the elf.   
“{They just want to help,}” you reiterate.   
She turns her attention to Montehugh.  
“What can you tell us about what happened? What do you remember?” he questions.  
“Well, I was just dancing with my friends,” she says finally switching back to English.  
“And this guy pushes past me and knocks me down and then…he..he pulls something out of his coat. There’s this flash of green light…and..and then..then I see my reflection of my face turning to stone and,” Fayleth starts breaking off into another sob and buries her face in her hands. You rub her shoulder and rock her back and forth.  
“Do you remember what he looked like?” Montehugh asks.  
She looks up at Kandomere, “He had shoulder length hair,” she takes a few shaky breaths, “Silver though not..not blue.”  
You look at Montehugh and Kandomere and they exchange glances with each other and with you.  
So it was him.  
“Is there anything else?” you ask.  
“No,” she sobs , “The next thing I remember I woke up and saw you and then everybody else dead,” she continues to cry.   
“Sir,” an agent approaches Kandomere. The elf turns to face him.  
“There’s something you need to see,” he says.  
The elf then looks back at you, “Will you be alright if-“ he begins.  
“We’ll be fine,” you reply.  
And then Montehugh and Kandomere walk back inside.

You continue to try to calm her until her crying subsides again. You both sit in silence for a bit until, “Did my friends make it out? Are they alright?” Fayleth questions.   
“I don’t know, where they next to you when...” you trail off.  
She nods.  
“Then probably not,” you answer.   
She draws in a shaky breath.  
“Look, I know how you feel, the guy that did this also attacked me and my Aunt,” you say. Her head turns to look at you. “And he killed her so, I know how you feel,” you finish.   
“You need to catch him before he hurts anyone else,” she says her voice hoarse from crying. “I know,” you say your eyes a little watery as well. “We’re going to and he’s gonna pay for what he’s done.” The elven woman nods, and the two of you fall silent again.   
You look up and notice Kandomere some distance away and lock eyes with him. His face is grim and you wonder just how much he overheard. You turn away and try not to focus on him.  
Eventually he and Montehugh make their way back over to you.  
“Come on let’s go,” Montehugh says waving at you.  
You let go of Fayleth and stand up.   
You make it a couple of steps before you feel her tug on your arm.  
“Wait!” she shouts.  
You look back at her and she grips onto your hand with both of hers really tightly. It actually hurts a bit. Her eyes are wide as she stares at you, “You’re a Bright aren’t you?” she asks quietly. Your eyes widen and you give a small nod.  
“Thank you so much,” she whispers, tears in her eyes.  
You offer her a small smile and she lets go.

You walk with the two agents back to the car. You follow behind Kandomere to the driver’s side door, but he doesn’t open it. Instead, he spins around to face you. He seems angry.   
You immediately duck your head, “Look, I know you told me not to use magic unless...”  
“How did you do it?” Montehugh asks interrupting you.  
You raise your head to look at him and he’s leaning on top of the other side of the car.  
“It was a tear,” you begin, “A Tear of Sorrow.”  
“I was reading about it earlier today in a…fairytale book,” you explain.  
“A fairytale?” he inquires.  
You nod, “Almost all myths and legends have a glimmer of truth in them,” you say.  
Your gaze shifts back to Kandomere and you lower your head again unable to meet his steely gaze.   
“I couldn’t save the others, but I could save her,” you say.  
The elf inhales and then exhales.  
“Get in the car,” he says sternly, opening the door.  
You look up as he starts to push the seat back. You get in and settle yourself in the backseat. Then they both climb into the car and Kandomere starts the car. The three of you sit in silence as you leave the elven district. Kandomere’s eyes dart to the rear view mirror to look at you a few times and you continue to avoid his gaze. 

It’s not long before you realize that they’re taking you to the MTF headquarters and not home.   
“Where are we going?” you ask.  
Neither of them answer you. You fall silent again.  
When you park outside the office building you get out on Montehugh’s side and the elf immediately moves behind you. He places a hand on your back and guides you forward. You all walk into the building and then into the elevators.   
The silence continues as you all ride the elevator up and then step out into the hallway. There aren’t a lot of people working this late in the office and the floor is mostly empty as you continue to walk towards Kandomere’s office.  
His hand hasn’t left your lower back, he’s not hurting you, but it’s still firm against your spine. You reach his office and he moves to open the door and then gestures for you to step inside. You obey and his hand finally leaves you.

As you walk into the office it’s dark save for the unblocked window and a desk lamp; the elf passes you and heads for his desk. You glance behind you to see Montehugh close the door and stand in front of it. Silently, you turn and continue walking forward. Kandomere seats himself and watches you approach. When you near the desk, “Sit,” he orders.   
You sit in the left chair again and see Montehugh approach, but he doesn’t sit down. No, he continues walking until he rounds the desk and stands next to Kandomere, putting his hands in his pockets. Your eyes drift towards the elf finally.   
He’s staring at you intently.  
You fold your hands in your lap and try not to shift in your seat as he his eyes pierce through you.   
“Who else was there the night you were attacked?” Kandomere questions.  
You shake your head, “No one, there was no one but me,” you lie.  
He studies you for a moment. In the silence you’re aware that his breathing is getting heavier.  
“Who Else?” he asks venom lacing his words.  
“There wasn’t anyone else,” you continue to lie.  
“DON’T LIE TO ME!!” he yells as he stands, slamming his hands down on the desk.   
Startled by his sudden outburst, “I already told you what-“ you whimper.  
“And you LIED to ME,” he says harshly, towering over you.  
“It doesn’t matter anyway-“ you start.  
“WHY?!” he counters.  
“Because-“ you begin.  
“WHY DOESN’T IT-“ he shouts.  
“BECAUSE SHE’S DEAD!!!” you scream.   
You can no longer bite back the tears threatening to slip out of your eyes.  
“Because she’s dead,” you repeat.  
“You wanna know so bad how I’m alive? Why I’m not dead? It’s because of her. It’s because of Selina. She died…protecting me. My Aunt, my friend, my mentor...” you start to cry. “Is dead because of me.”  
The elf slowly seats himself once more.  
Furiously you try to wipe at your eyes. You’re angry. You’re angry that you’re crying in front of these assholes, angry that Selina is dead and you’re angry…that it’s your fault.  
You hear a drawer open and something being removed from it.  
“Here,” Kandomere says quietly.  
You look up and he’s holding a tissue towards you. You snatch it from him and wipe your eyes and nose. He then slowly pushes the box now placed on his desk towards you. You glare at him and snatch a few more tissues from it.  
“Why wouldn’t you tell us that before?” Kandomere asks.  
You stare at him open mouthed.   
“WHY?” you scowl.  
“Because you’re an ELF,” you seethe, pointing at him.  
A look of confusion crosses his features.  
You roll your eyes at him, “Selina was a half-elf,” you clarify.  
Both of them exchange confused glances.  
“There aren’t any half-elves in L.A. a half-elf would stick out like a sore thumb,” Montehugh says in disbelief.  
“Exactly,” you say, turning back to glare at the elf.  
“We would’ve known about her already is what Ulysses is trying to say,” Kandomere responds.  
You huff, “Not a half-elf with illusion magic.”  
“What? Why would she try to hide?” Montehugh asks.  
“Ask HIM,” you say flatly, refusing to take your eyes off of Kandomere.  
The elf leans back in his chair and sighs.  
Montehugh looks from you to the elf, “Boss?”  
“Half-elves are…frowned upon in elven culture,” the elf says.  
“Reviled you mean,” you correct.  
Kandomere clenches his jaw and glances down.  
“You elves love to keep humans around,” you begin.  
“Have us do things for you. Even warm your beds on occasion. But marriage? Children?” you shake your head.  
You probably shouldn’t be saying these things to someone who could put you in prison with a wave of his hand, but that shining gorget hanging from his neck is mocking you. Making the elf a perfect target.  
“No elf in their right mind would sully their bloodline with a human. Because the only people elves truly love are themselves,” you finish.  
Kandomere steeples his fingers and exhales slowly.  
“We’re done for the day,” he says simply.  
“I will send an agent to take you home,” he says, gesturing to the door. You stand and walk to the door. And opening it you don’t look back.


	5. Who's Protecting Whom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Trauma, Car Accident, Loss
> 
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}

You’re waiting in that open area with all the desks when you see Kandomere and Montehugh striding towards you. Great, what do they want now?  
They approach you and the elf says, “Come on, we’re taking you home.”  
You knit your brows together, “I thought you were getting another agent to take me home?”  
“Well, I changed my mind,” he says flatly.  
“No,” you respond.  
“What?” he snaps.  
“I’m not going with you,” you say crossing your arms.  
“You are, if I say you are,” Kandomere replies.  
“Make Me,” you challenge.  
His brows crease together and he stares at you.  
The elf then steps forward and wraps his fingers around your upper left arm.  
“You don’t want me to,” he says quietly.  
“Don’t I,” you counter, staring defiantly back at him.  
“No,” he replies sternly.  
You’re very aware that elves have superior strength to humans. Your eyes move slowly from his to his hand on your arm. The elf is bigger than you and his large hand wraps easily around your bicep. His expression is unyielding, but his grip is once again not tight enough to hurt you. The elven woman’s grip from earlier had been tighter than his in fact, which means he’s going easy on you.   
He could easily snap your arm in two if he so chose.  
You meet his eyes again.  
If he made to attack you, you could always use your magic to defend yourself and even the odds…but…  
You don’t really want to hurt him…worse if things escalated you would have to fight Montehugh too.  
“Fine,” you growl.  
He releases you and you walk of your own accord towards the elevators. You push the button to go down and the two agents join you by stepping to either side of you. When the doors open you need no prodding and step in before them and turn around. They both step in after you and Montehugh hits the bottom floor button. The three of you ride the elevator down in silence and then walk out of the building and back towards the car. Kandomere opens his door and pushes the seat back and you climb into the backseat and sit in the middle. They both get in the car and you glare out the left side window.   
The elf glances at you, “Aren’t you going to put on your seatbelt?”  
“No,” you say flatly still staring out the window.  
“You really should,” he states.  
“Why? Do you plan on getting in a car accident? Besides you never put on yours. Too afraid you’re going to wrinkle your expensive suit?” you mock.   
Kandomere lets out a heavy sigh and turns back around and starts the car.  
You continue to remain silent, your eyes fixed out the car window. Fortunately, your companions don’t want to make idle chitchat either.  
Which is good, because you’ve had enough of the Magic Task Force for tonight.   
They start to near your apartment and the elf stops at a red, flashing light and looks down the street.   
Seeing nothing the elf continues forward.   
You’re still staring out the window when you see a brief shimmer of something.  
A shimmer that passes over something very large and headed in your direction.  
“Kandomere,” you mutter, your eyes now wide.  
“What?” he asks in a tired voice.  
You gasp as a pair of bright headlights flare to life. The elf’s head whips in the direction of the truck, “{Fuck},” he says in Övüsi. He starts to try to swerve the car away from oncoming truck. “ForIGrowQuiteAlarmed,IDoNotWishUSToBeHarmed,” you mutter quickly and reach forward and grab them both by the shoulder.  
And then you feel the truck collide with the car.  
You squeeze your eyes shut and there’s the screeching of tires and metal as the vehicle is pushed sideways and then the car flips over one, two, three times.  
When it finally stops moving you cautiously open your eyes.  
Breathing heavily, you see that the car is now upside down. You look to the two agents in the front of the vehicle. They both have their arms braced above them. Looking themselves over, they then slowly turn to you.  
Gasping, the shimmering dome of force surrounding the three of you blinks out.  
You manage to catch yourself in time as you fall towards the roof. The driver’s side door is crumpled inward, but Montehugh’s door is still serviceable and he opens it and climbs out first. Then Kandomere climbs into the passenger’s side and turns to you and stretches out a hand to you. You take it and he helps pull you out of the backseat. “Watch out for the glass,” he warns.   
Thank goodness you’re wearing pants and long sleeves.  
You both crawl out of the vehicle and get to your feet. Montehugh has his gun drawn and is staring down the street.   
Glancing around, “We need to move,” Kandomere says.  
Kandomere places his hand on your lower back and guides you forward as the three of you quickly vacate the street.

*******

“No, everything’s fine,” Montehugh says.  
“Are you sure?” she asks.  
With his elven hearing, Kandomere can’t help but to overhear Montehugh’s phone call. The elf takes another sip from his coffee as he watches the trailer pull into the parking lot with the crushed remains of the car.  
“Yeah, I just missed the sound of your voice. Look, I’ll probably be home a little late tonight,” Ulysses continues.   
A long inhale, “Alright,” Mrs. Montehugh replies.  
“Just go back to sleep, I love you,” he says.   
“I love you too, be safe, Ulysses,” she responds.  
“Bye,” Montehugh says.  
“Bye,” his wife replies.  
The elf is more than aware that his two human companions could have died tonight. And he hadn’t been able to steer them clear of the danger.  
Worse, he hadn’t noticed until it was too late.  
Staring at the driver’s side, he frowns.  
The whole side is caved in and would have crushed them all had it not been for their Bright’s quick reflexes. One thing was for certain though this was no accident.   
The truck had an invisibility spell cast on it, and whoever was driving it had been waiting for them. However, he was still unsure if he and Montehugh were the intended targets or if she was.  
The red-haired man strides over to Kandomere interrupting his thoughts. Montehugh reaches into his jacket and pulls out a cigarette and a lighter. Lighting the cigarette, he then tucks the lighter back into his jacket, “It’s bad enough we couldn’t see the damn thing, but tinted windows too? And no plates?” he takes a long drag of the cigarette, “What a fucking night.”   
Subtly Kandomere nods and takes another sip of coffee.  
“How’s she holding up?’ Montehugh questions cocking his head in the direction of the office building behind them. The elf chuckles, “Pissed she can’t go home.”   
The man snorts, “I can relate,” and takes another puff of the cigarette.  
“Whatever bastard did this is gonna pay,” Montehugh says.  
Turning his head towards the man Kandomere replies, “And pay dearly for it.”

*******

You’re pacing the elf’s office where he had left you over an hour ago and told you to wait. You have no idea when he’s coming back. You’ve had a long enough day already, one that has been both emotionally exhausting as well as physically. Whatever old magic you had used to help Fayleth, took a lot of out of you. You glance briefly at the couch and consider taking a nap, but you shrug it off.  
You don’t want to fall asleep here.   
After all, you’re not entirely sure where you stand with the MTF at the moment and if you have another magical night terror in the middle of the Special Agent’s office you can say goodbye to your freedom. So instead you walk to the door and open it slightly and peek out. There’s no one around, good.  
You step out quietly and shut the door behind you. You walk cautiously to the bathroom and open the door. You check all the stalls first to make sure you’re the only one in here. And you are.   
So you use the bathroom and then wash your hands. You let the cool water run over your hands and closing your eyes, exhale slowly. You open them and then splash some cold water on your face. You take another deep breath and watch the water running through your fingers.   
You knit your brows together and stare at it.   
You make a bowl with your hands and focus on the water pooling in them.   
There’s a slight crackling sound and it becomes solid.  
You pull your hands out from the still running faucet and examine it. The ice feels cold in your hands, but it doesn’t feel like it’s numbing your skin.   
You shrug your shoulders and focus on it again.   
It instantly turns back to water and drains out of your fingers and back into the sink. You turn the water off and turn to the paper towel dispenser and your shins hit something hard. You catch yourself on the counter and glance down. It’s that wooden stepping stool, it’s been slightly pulled out from under the sink.  
Maybe McTavish is here working late.  
You dry your face and hands with the paper towels after carefully stepping around it. You walk out into the hallway and glance briefly in the direction of Kandomere’s office and then turn in the opposite direction.   
If you remember correctly there was a break room around here somewhere…  
You see a door with light coming from the window and peer inside. You see round tables with chairs, a couple of vending machines, a refrigerator, and a counter with a sink, and cabinets above it. You try to open the door, but it’s locked.  
You glance to the right of it and see that there’s a keycard reader.   
Damn it.  
Then you look down to your id badge still pinned to the right side of your cardigan. You unclip it and slowly place it on the reader. You hear a click and it lights up green. You gasp and opening the door you walk in.   
It seems you have some clearance after all.  
You don’t have any money with you for the vending machines, so you go to the cabinets and look through them. You find some coffee and coffee filters and begin to brew some with the coffee machine sitting on the counter. You also find some mugs and grab one and rinse it out in the sink. You dry it with a paper towel and once the coffee is done, you pour yourself some. You take a whiff of it and find a seat at one of the tables across from the vending machines. You blow on the coffee a bit and then take a sip. You relax your shoulders a little, this should make it easier to get through the rest of this shitty night. 

You sit in silence for a few minutes and then you hear a click on the door. You look up and are expecting the elf to enter and yell at you, when a curly, dark-haired woman steps in.   
The Latina woman looks at you and points, “Is that fresh?”  
You glance down at your half-drunk mug of coffee, “Oh, yes! I just made it.”  
She puts her hands together, “Gracias, you’re a saint,” and then she takes out a mug and pours herself some coffee as well. Then she sits across from you at the table and sips it.   
She lets out an exasperated sigh, “I really need this when I work these late nights.”  
You nod, “Yeah I get what you mean.”  
“Are you new here?” she asks suddenly.  
“Hm?” you say.  
She points at you and you look down at your id badge, “Oh! Yeah,” you reply.  
“So how’s the job been treating you so far?” she questions, taking another sip.  
You exhale, “Um…it’s been pretty stressful so far.”  
She grimaces, “That bad huh? Well maybe you’ll get the hang of things soon. What case they got you working on?”  
“I’m not sure I’m allowed to say,” you respond.  
“Come on, you can tell me,” she prods.  
You glance at the door half expecting the elf to walk in at any moment, “The one that happened tonight at the nightclub in the elven district,” you whisper.   
Her eyes widen, “Oh Shit.” She leans forward and in a hushed tone, “I heard a fuckton of elves got murdered in some kind of terrorist attack.”  
You nod shakily, still remembering all the bodies that were strewn about the floor.  
“Hey, you ok?” she asks, which shakes you out of it.  
“Yeah, why?” you question.  
“You got a little pale there,” she says.  
“It’s just been a long night,” you explain and take another sip of coffee.  
“Oh,” she leans back in her chair and nods, “First time in the field?” she asks.  
You nod.  
“Hey, it’s ok first time I saw a dead body I threw up. Happens to all of us,” she says.  
“Really?” you ask.  
She nods, “Really, so don’t sweat it.”  
You smile at her, and then your stomach growls.   
You put a hand over your stomach, “Sorry.”  
She chuckles, “What? Did you skip dinner?”  
“Yes, actually,” you reply.  
“Well, we got a vending machine right there,” she says turning in her chair and pointing her thumb at it.  
“I didn’t bring any change, unfortunately,” you sigh, “I didn’t think I’d be coming back to the office.”  
She stands up, “Ah rookie mistake,” she scolds and waves a finger at you. “You always come back to the office, for paperwork,” she continues and walks over to the vending machine, “Which one’s you want?” she asks.  
“Oh you don’t have to-“ you begin.  
She starts pulling money out of her pocket and punching in numbers.  
“Um…D4 or D8,” you say quickly.  
She punches in several different letters and numbers and a few things fall out. She reaches in and grabs them and hands you the bag of chips and candy bar you had requested. She sits down and opens up her own bag of chips.  
“Thanks,” you say.  
“De nada,” she replies.  
She pulls her left arm up into her face and leans away and coughs.  
When she recovers, “Sorry, I’m still recovering from a nasty cold.”  
You furrow your brows, “Hernández?”  
She gives you a puzzled expression, “How’d you know?”  
“I already met your partner McTavish the other day,” you explain.  
She furrows her brows and looks up and seems lost in thought for a moment.   
Then she gasps and points at you, “You’re that new Bright they brought in aren’t you?” she asks.  
“Uh…well I-“ you begin.  
“So what? Did they decide to hire you or something?” she questions.  
You look down at the id badge and lift it up. You shrug, “I don’t know. I’ve only been asked to do this a couple of times.” She nods.   
You stare at her, “It doesn’t bother you that I’m a Bright?”  
She waves a hand at you, “Nah, I’ve seen enough weird shit at this job.”   
You smile.  
“Besides you wouldn’t have gotten that if they thought you were trouble,” Hernández continues. “Have you gotten to do anything cool yet?” she asks in between a mouthful of chips.  
“Um…” you say uncertain.  
“Por favor?....Please?” Hernández pleads.  
“Well…uh…I found a magic key. And tonight I…may have used old magic to revert someone back from stone,” you say hesitantly.   
“HOLY SHIT!” Hernández exclaims.  
“Shhhh keep it down,” you hush her, leaning forward.  
She waves you off, “Relax the only other person on this floor right now is-“  
“Gabriela? What’s going on? I heard you-“ McTavish stops upon opening the door and seeing you. “Oh hey, Gwen,” Hernández says with her mouth full as she waves at the dwarven woman.   
“Hi,” you say awkwardly with a small wave.  
McTavish side-eyes you as she walks towards her partner. “How did she get in here? Gabriela, did you let her in here?” she asks placing her hands on her hips.  
“Nope, she’s got an all access pass,” Hernández states pointing at your id badge. McTavish then looks at you and spots your id badge, “I see.”  
Hernández smiles at her, “She’s on the payroll.” McTavish looks at her shocked.  
“Well, I don’t know about payroll,” you interrupt quickly, “But I was asked to consult on two occasions.”   
“Including tonight,” you add glancing down.  
“Wait, you were at the nightclub?” McTavish questions.  
“Yeah,” you confirm.  
“She used magic to unpetrify someone,” Hernández says with a smirk.  
“Really?” McTavish asks. You nod.  
Agent McTavish looks at the chair next to Hernández and pulls it out and sits down. The chair is unfortunately at human height and her legs end up being unable to touch the floor. She folds her arms on the table and leans forward, “So they’re just letting you use magic on the job now?”  
“Well…not exactly,” you admit.  
Both of them stare at you.  
“So you did it without permission?” Hernández questions.  
“Yes…but I didn’t even know for sure if it would work. No sense in getting anyone’s hopes up. Besides…she’ll at least get to go home tonight,” you say and take another sip of your coffee. When you look up again McTavish seems to be studying you.  
“And she was actually able to describe what happened so…there’s that. Also I’m pretty sure I know what kind of item it was too,” you continue.  
McTavish nods.  
You reach into your bag of chips and pull out a handful and stuff them into your mouth. The two agents exchange glances.  
“You know I never did get the full story on how they found you,” Hernández muses.  
“Neither did I,” McTavish says and turns to look at you expectantly.  
You look between the two of them, “Uh…I was attacked for one.”   
“Ok, yeah we know that part. There was quite a fuss when they brought you in. I wanna know what happened before that,” Hernández says.  
You swallow, “There was a dragon.”   
Both of their eyes widen.  
“You know what if you didn’t know already then you probably weren’t supposed to,” you say quickly, changing your mind, “Besides I’m in enough trouble already.”  
Hernández puts a hand up, “Woah hey, I didn’t mean to spook you. Was…was it really that bad?”  
You fiddle with your coffee mug, “I’ve still got the scar.”  
“Can I see?” Hernández asks.  
“GABRIELA!” McTavish exclaims.  
“What?” she asks staring at the dwarven woman, “I wanna know if it looks like some gnarly shark bite.”  
You huff a little, “It’s not a bite, if I got bit by a dragon I wouldn’t be talking to you right now.”   
“Fair point,” Hernández replies, “But can I still see it?”  
You sigh and stand up and pull up the bottom part of your shirt just past your navel, revealing the bottom part of the long twisted scar that runs up at an angle almost to your armpit.  
“Sick!” Hernández exclaims.  
“Oh My God,” McTavish mutters horrified.  
You pull your shirt back down and sit in the chair and return to eating your chips.   
“That must have hurt like hell,” Hernández says.  
You glare at her and continue munching on your chips. The dwarven woman knits her brows together, “How did you recover in like a week though?”  
“Healing magic,” you respond and stuff another chip into your mouth.  
“No wonder they got you working for us. It’s rare to find a human Bright with a magical aptitude like yours,” Hernández says. “Or a human Bright in general,” McTavish adds, “Most of them are elves,” she reminds Hernández with a look.  
“Anyway you’re not the only one with a scar,” Hernández says and rolls up her long sleeves. She turns her right forearm towards you and you can see a bumpy line of a long slash across it.   
“There was a perp with a knife, didn’t even know I was cut ‘till I had ‘em in the car,” Hernández explains. “Well, as long as we’re talking scars,” McTavish says. She removes her cardigan and turns in her chair to show her left shoulder, which has a small sealed hole in it.  
“Gunfight,” she says, “It was five against two.”  
You smile at them both.  
“But your scar wins hands down. I mean how many people can say they got attacked by a dragon?” Hernández questions.  
“I still want to get rid of it when I finish my next healing session,” you say.  
“What? Why?” Hernández asks confused.  
You sigh, “Too many bad memories, that night’s gonna go down as one of the worst nights of my life, if not The Worst.”  
“That’s understandable, I mean we know what we’re getting into with our job, but you didn’t,” McTavish says.   
“Yeah, scars are cool and all, but you don’t need a scar to be cool. I mean it’s only your second day and you’ve already saved someone’s life. That’s pretty cool of you,” Hernández says. “Yeah,” McTavish agrees.  
You smile again.  
“Oh! I never did ask, why are you two still in the office while everyone else is either at a crime scene or on an elfhunt?” you ask.   
“We’re working on a separate case. Busy trying to track down an illegal fighting ring,” McTavish explains.   
You furrow your brows, “What kind of fighting ring?”  
“Gryphons,” Hernández says.  
“What? No, who would do such a thing? Gryphons are social and live in family groups,” you whine. “They’re also a protected species,” McTavish adds.  
“There’s more, rumor has it that the leader of the gang who runs it has a w-“ Hernández gets cut off as the door opens and in walks the blue-haired elf, Kandomere. 

You stare up at him and his eyes move from you to the two agents and then back.  
He opens his mouth slowly, “I told you to wait in my office.”  
“And I told you to Go Fuck Yourself,” you say coldly.  
Hernández’s eyes widen and she takes a sip of her coffee.  
Kandomere just stares at you unimpressed.  
“Come on, we’re leaving,” he says.  
“Is it home?” you ask.  
“No,” he replies.  
“Then I’m not interested,” you respond.  
The elf puts his hands in his pockets and strides around the table to you.  
“Get up,” he says sternly.   
You remain seated.  
He pulls his right hand out of his pocket and moves to grab you, but before he can you make your eyes glow bright as a warning, and he stops short.   
His lips curl up in a snarl and he looks really angry.  
But then you feel your hearing go and your vision goes in and out and you start to fall forward…  
And then you’re pushed upright in your seat and you lift your head and are met with the elf’s silver eyes. He looks you over and turns to the two women and says something that is a little muffled to your ears. You turn your head and notice your uneaten chocolate bar.  
“Sugar,” you mutter.   
“I need sugar.”  
Kandomere spies the chocolate bar and opens it and hands it to you. You take a bite and chew it slowly. “Can you hear me?” Kandomere asks.  
“Yes,” you respond, “Barely.”  
“Just take a minute,” he says.  
After a few more bites, you stand up slowly. The elf has his hands out in case he needs to catch you again. You rub your head, “I’m fine, I just got a little woozy is all. It happens sometimes when I use too much magic,” you say staring at the floor.   
He inhales and exhales slowly, “Follow me,” he says.  
You walk behind the elf and he opens the door for you. You turn to Hernández and McTavish and wave at them, and they both wave back. Then you walk out of the break room and walk with Kandomere down to the elevators, he pushes the button and then turns to you. His hand reaches towards your face and he starts to tilt your chin up. You pull back, weirded out by this gesture and he lowers his hand and makes no move to repeat it.  
“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asks softly.  
“I mean…do you want the long answer or the short answer?” you ask.  
His eyes look down and then back up, but he says nothing.  
“I’m pretty tapped magic-wise,” you say and eat the last of your chocolate bar, “And I’m out of chocolate,” you add.  
The elf looks at the empty wrapper, “Do you think you would have enough strength for at least one more spell if you had more?”  
“I could probably push it, why?” you ask.  
He reaches into his inner jacket pocket and pulls out a large, half-eaten, white and milk chocolate bar. You recognize this brand, it’s mostly only sold in the elven district, because it’s an expensive, fancy elvish candy. Selina always had some, because it was hers and yours favorite. She always gave you some whenever you got light-headed from magic lessons.   
Kandomere hands you the chocolate, you take it and stare up at him.   
And then the elevator doors open.

*******

Kandomere steps out of the borrowed car and then pushes the seat back and offers the woman a hand. She takes it without protest and then looks around. The elf can see in her eyes and smell in the air, her increasing nervousness.  
“What are we doing here?” she asks.  
In the hour or so that she had been waiting, Kandomere had gotten access to traffic cams to follow which way the truck had gone. It had turned invisible again at a certain point, but he was sure that whoever was responsible was hiding out in this old warehouse.  
“We’re here to catch whoever hit us,” he says.  
“Don’t we need backup?” she asks.  
Most of the teams that were out tonight were now searching for the elf, which left them very little manpower for this job.  
“No, we’ll be fine,” he says and walks forward drawing his gun.  
Ulysses does the same and makes sure that the woman is between them. This is not the first time that he has had to do this sort of thing without backup, after all he didn’t start out as a Special Agent.   
The three of them cautiously approach the door. Montehugh steps to the side of the door and pushes the Bright behind him next to the door. The elf nods to him raising his firearm. His companion opens the door and he quickly clears the entryway and scans the room, “Clear,” he says. Montehugh joins him and the woman is again moved protectively between them. The elf hears nothing and they continue to move forward, clearing rooms as they go. When they near the large storage area, he catches a whiff of something or rather someone…  
He inhales deeply trying to pinpoint it.   
He tilts his head, an elf.  
A female elf.

Then he remembers earlier when a torn, red, satin glove and a woman’s ring had been recovered at the crime scene. There had been magical burns along the walls in a private room upstairs indicative of a fight. Elven Brights fighting one another in some sort of deal gone south.  
Was she the one that hit them?  
Did she see them earlier at the crime scene?  
Kandomere nods in the direction of the storage room, Montehugh opens the door leading to it. The elf moves through it and onto the stairs leading down to the floor. He spies sitting in the middle of the room, the truck that had hit them.  
The large bay doors leading out are currently closed and the floor is littered with old wooden pallets. He cautiously makes his way down the metal staircase. His companions follow and he’s aware, with his elven hearing, how much noise they’re all making. He inhales again.

He can smell her scent getting stronger, which means she’s down here and means to ambush them. He reaches the bottom and carefully approaches the vehicle, eyes scanning the shadows of the room for any signs of movement. She’s moved around the room a bit before they arrived making it difficult for him to track her by smell. His companions close in behind him.   
She specifically knew HE was coming.   
Why bother spreading her scent around unless she KNEW an ELF was coming to find her? This wasn’t about their Bright at all. This was about him and Montehugh. He inhales again and his eyes widen.   
“There’s gas,” he says turning to his companions, “We have to move.”  
He hears the audible sound of heels clacking against the metal staircase. The elf raises his gun and fires at the fleeing blonde, elven woman dressed in red, but she’s through the door, before he can land a shot.   
Then he hears the muttering of a spell.   
“THE BAY DOORS! GO THOUGH THE BAY DOORS!” Kandomere barks. 

The small, human woman grabs his elbow and at first he assumes it’s, because she’s frightened, but then she reaches for Montehugh and grabs a hold of him as well.   
“For I grow quite alarmed, I do not wish US to be harmed,” she mutters.  
A blue dome of magic energy materializes around the three of them. Kandomere hears the elven woman stop speaking….and then the whole place explodes in a fiery inferno. The flames swirl over and around the shield and debris blown into the shield bounces off of it.  
It was a trap.  
Suddenly the shield flickers and blinks out.  
And they’re all hit with the smoke and heat of the fire, and burst into coughing fits. The elf picks his head up and tries to look for a way out. The fresh scent of fear hits his nostrils and he turns to look at his human companions. Montehugh’s face is grim, but he’s holding it together, the woman on the other hand…  
Seeing her expression, he understands why the shield failed. She’s paralyzed with fear staring at the fire. The fire.   
The Dragon.   
Oh no.  
He steps towards her and cups her face in his hands, “Hey, look at me, we’re going to make it out of this.” She looks at him and he can see tears streaming down her face, that aren’t from the smoke alone. He leans in close to her, “I know I’ve asked a lot of you today, but I need to ask you one more thing,” he says softly.   
He seems to have her attention.   
“I need you to make a portal out of here,” Kandomere says.  
She starts to shake her head, “I-I can’t…I can’t do it,” she sobs.  
“Yes, you can,” he whispers and presses his forehead against hers, “I know you can.”  
She shakily nods, “I’ll try.”  
“That’s all I ask,” he replies.  
He lets go of her and she turns around and outstretches her hand, “{Safe Passage,}” she says in Ancient Övüsi. Nothing happens.   
“{Safe Passage!}” she repeats.  
There’s no portal.  
The spell she had said a moment ago had not been in Övüsi, and it had worked twice in one night. “Try it in English, do not use the Övüsi Kieru!” he calls out to her.  
She glances over her shoulder briefly at him and then raises her arm again. 

He hears her draw in a shaky breath,  
“Take us somewhere safe from here,   
And make it somewhere near,  
A door to whence we came,  
Away from scorching flame.”

There’s a rush of cool air as a circular portal opens up in front of them revealing a darkened parking lot. The elf positions himself behind both of the humans and bodily shoves them through the portal. They all fall through it and Kandomere lands on top of them, and is the first to pull himself to his feet.   
He glances behind him and sees that the portal is gone.   
The two humans on the ground are coughing and taking longer to recover. Kandomere reaches his hands out to both of them and they take it, and then the elf pulls both of them to their feet. Montehugh starts coughing again and walks to the car next to them and leans over on it. The woman in front of him is covering her face and coughing and trying to gasp for air. 

She finally manages to get a few breaths of fresh air and then stares back at the building with an open mouth. The fire is quickly spreading to the rest of the building as black smoke rises into the sky.  
“I’ve never done that spell before,” she whispers.  
“What?!” Montehugh exclaims and whips his head around to stare at her.  
“What do you mean you’ve never done it before?!” he continues.  
“Aunt Selina was always the one who-“ she begins.  
“WE COULD’VE DIED!” Montehugh exclaims.  
“And we would’ve been dead if we stayed,” Kandomere interjects, “But we’re not dead.”   
The woman then looks at him curiously.  
“Come on, we need to get out of here,” Kandomere says to both of them.  
They all get in the car and Kandomere speeds away, leaving the warehouse far behind.

*******

He opens the door to his office and motions for her to go first. The woman doesn’t even spare him a glance as she slowly steps inside. The elf follows and gently closes the door behind him.  
“Montehugh will be joining us shortly,” Kandomere states.  
She turns her head to the side slightly and gives a small nod.  
After all of them had paid a visit to the medical staff they had on standby, they were finally cleared and Montehugh was now busy briefing the returning teams and the agents who were just coming in to work. The only light in his office was the desk lamp and the barest hint of sunlight coming through the large windows as the sun was beginning to rise. Both of them still smelled like smoke from the fire, they had been able to wash their faces and hands, but the elf could not wait to remove his clothes and shower.

“Have a seat, please,” he says.  
The woman walks forward…but instead of sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk as she had previously, she…walks around the glass coffee table and sits in the middle of the couch. He stops in the middle of the room directly opposite from her and stares. The woman folds her hands in her lap and without lifting her head, her eyes look up at him and then back down. The elf then turns his head to glance at his desk….right.  
He remembers how the conversation had gone earlier and she was now physically imposing the coffee table as a barrier between her and him.   
Kandomere turns his attention back to her and he studies her for a moment.   
She seems a little nervous, but mostly she just seems drained and downtrodden. He supposes after the night she’s had that it would make sense, she has used a lot of magic as well, which has undoubtedly left her physically exhausted. 

Speaking of her magic, there is one question in particular about it that’s been plaguing his mind. Something about the particular wording she used when he had first questioned her.

“And three: I used a magic portal,” she says.  
“You made a magic portal?” Kandomere asks.  
“Yes,” she replies.

“I’ve never done that spell before,” she says.  
“What?!” Montehugh exclaims.  
“What do you mean you’ve never done it before?!” he continues.  
“Aunt Selina was always the one who-“ she begins.

Selina.  
“You weren’t the one who made the portal that allowed you to escape that night, were you?” Kandomere questions.   
Her eyes look up at him, but she says nothing, which is an admission all on its own.  
“It was the half-e-“ he stops himself, “Selina,” he corrects himself.   
“Who did it, that’s how she protected you?” he asks.  
“That’s how she-“ he’s cut off as she lets out a high-pitched noise and starts to sob. She covers her mouth with her hand and he strides over to his desk, the sudden movement spooking her. The elf reaches into the drawer and once again pulls out the box of tissues. Then he nudges the wastebasket towards her with his foot and carefully sets the box down on the table in front of her. She hesitantly takes a couple and wipes her nose.  
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he says.  
She stares up at him and he can see in her eyes, that she doesn’t believe him.  
And why would she?  
Why should she?  
His race has been nothing but cruel in their treatment of the other races. Kandomere tried to be better than them, but clearly she was convinced he was no better than them. 

The elf slowly walks around the coffee table and over to the couch and sits down on her left. She watches him cautiously.  
Every gesture of kindness he had shown her, had been met with confusion and surprise. Even now her reaction is much the same.  
He would have to show her…show her that he was worthy of her trust.  
He turns his body towards her and places his hands on his knees palms facing upwards. And then he closes his eyes.   
He can hear her sniffles as he waits patiently.   
There’s a long pause…and just when it seems she’s not going to accept…   
He feels her warm fingertips brush against his palm, taking her hands in his, he feels her squeeze his hands and he gently squeezes back.   
Slowly, Kandomere opens his eyes to find hers closed.  
He regards her for a moment as the tears slowly slide down her cheeks. There’s an urge to reach out and brush them away, but he resists.   
He does not wish to frighten her.   
The elf lifts his head and inhales and then exhales lowering it again.  
Her scent is filled with worry, fear, and sadness.   
A lot of sadness.  
He had only smelled a hint of it earlier, but clearly it had been masked primarily by her fear and anxiety. Now though?  
Now it flowed freely, simply because she was unable to hide it any longer.  
He glances at her smaller hands in his and intentionally starts to stroke her knuckles with his thumbs. The gesture catches her attention and she opens her eyes. She stares at his hands for a long moment and then draws in a shaky breath and raises her head to meet his gaze.   
He leans forwards slightly, “I meant what I said, I am truly sorry.”  
She closes her eyes and dips her head and a strand of hair falls out from behind her right ear and in front of her face. Kandomere reaches forward and tucks it slowly back into place, careful not to touch her ear.  
He doesn’t want to give the wrong impression.  
She watches him, but doesn’t pull away, and almost imperceptibly her shoulders relax and her pupils dilate slightly. He pulls his hand away and clasps hers once more, “What was she like? Your Aunt?”

She exhales slowly the tears having finally subsided, “She was wise, kind, and strong. And very patient. Stubborn at times for sure,” she huffs.  
“We aren’t actually blood related and I’ve only known her for three years,” she says.  
Not blood related? That surprises Kandomere.  
“If she’s not your Aunt then why do you-“ he begins.  
“Why do I call her that?” she finishes for him, with a small smile, the first he’s seen all night. “It was a cover at first, an explanation for why I was in the elven district. Selina and I used magic to look like elves and since a lot of elves know each other or each other’s families, because of their long lifespans, the disguises worked better if they’re were two of us,” she continues.  
“Makes sense,” he responds.  
It’s true, having even one other family member would have removed any suspicion.  
“But eventually we started referring to each other as family even when it was just us. And Selina’s family is gone. Her father never married, and never had any other children, so I suppose she was just happy to have someone who knew she really was. What she really was,” she says.  
“What about her elven family?” Kandomere asks.  
She snorts in disgust, “Her mother abandoned her on her father’s doorstep when she was a newborn. So she never talked about them.”  
Shit.  
No wonder she’s fought him almost every step of the way, her experiences coupled with the half-elf’s would have given her every reason to dodge his questioning.  
“Ah I see,” he mutters.  
She closes her eyes and lowers her head again in response.  
She draws in a shaky breath, “If I had let the Magic Task Force catch me sooner, she might still be alive,” she starts to cry. Kandomere reaches forward and cups her face with his left hand, “Shh you don’t know that,” he soothes.  
Though Kandomere wonders had he been able to find her sooner if he could have saved the half-elf. It seems he was once again too late to save another Bright.   
The woman looks up at him with her red, watery eyes, and he leans forward and presses his forehead to hers. She moves her hand over his on her face, her thumb lightly stroking his knuckles.  
Being this close to her, the elf can easily smell her scent. He’s smelled it before, but her scent is…more pleasant up close.   
And she smells just a little like…rain.

Kandomere hears heavy footsteps near the door and then it opens. He turns his head to see Montehugh enter and stop in the doorway, eyes darting between the two of them. The woman is a little startled by his partner’s entrance and pulls back and lets go of the elf’s hands and reaches instead for more tissues. Montehugh lifts his head slightly in understanding and then closes the door. The woman wipes her eyes and nose and then throws the used tissues in the trash.  
“The teams have been briefed about the blonde, elven lady,” Montehugh says.  
“Good,” Kandomere responds and stands and walks over to him.  
“Did they find anything regarding…” the elf turns to glance at the woman who is wiping her nose, but she looks up when he stops speaking. He turns back, “You know,” he continues.   
The man shakes his head, “Nothing.”  
“But our guys at the crime scene say they saw an elven woman in red in the crowd, she was apparently even asking them questions,” Montehugh grimaces.  
“About what?” Kandomere asks.  
Montehugh shakes his head, “Things like what happened? Is everyone alright? Nothin’ anyone else wouldn’t have asked.”  
“So these two Brights meet each other for some kind of deal and then try to off each other and everyone else gets caught in the crossfire,” Montehugh continues. The elf sighs and glances to the side. “Whatever magic item was involved must have been really something,” Montehugh adds.

“The amulet,” the woman whispers quietly.  
But with his elven hearing Kandomere hears her and turns towards her, and from the look of surprise on her face, she seems to have momentarily forgotten this fact.  
Although instead of hiding it like she had previously, “The Amulet,” she repeats louder. “Of the Dragon,” she adds.  
The elf sighs, so she does know about it.  
“What can you tell us about it?” Montehugh questions stepping beside the elf.  
“Not much, only that it’s powerful. Selina and I found it buried in the ground,” she explains. Montehugh and Kandomere exchange glances.  
“You had it in your possession?” Kandomere asks hesitantly.  
“Yes,” she admits.  
She’s telling the truth this time, the only problem is she just admitted to having a weapon of magic. “And that key we found it belongs to the lockbox that was holding it, it’s made of the same obsidian,” she continues.  
“Where is the lockbox now?” the elf asks, closing his eyes.   
He doesn’t want to have to arrest her, but if she’s been keeping it from him this whole time…  
“I don’t know,” she says.  
He opens his eyes and stares at her.  
“I lost it. I tried to keep him from taking it, but he was a lot stronger than me and I couldn’t keep a hold of it,” she continues.  
He tilts his head, “The elf has it?”  
She nods, “Yes.”  
“And as far as I know he hasn’t been able to open it,” she says and then shakes her head, “I really hope he doesn’t open it. When I held the box in my hands there was something…” she purses her lips, “Primordial about it.”  
“I’ve never felt magic that strong before, we can’t let him use it,” she says.  
“Alright, hold on, slow down, Princess. We’ve got the key and as long as he hasn’t used it already, then he can’t open it right? That’s what you said?” Montehugh asks.  
She nods slowly, “Right.”  
Now that they know the amulet has been found this changes things significantly. It seems they need to question their Bright one last time.  
“How did this happen?” Kandomere asks.  
“Which part?” she asks.  
“All of it,” Kandomere states.  
“Look, just…start from the beginning,” Montehugh says.  
“The truth this time,” Kandomere says softly.


	6. Start From the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Violence, Blood, Death
> 
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}

“So the convenience store then? Well…”  
You had just gotten off work and after driving home had decided to head back out and walk to the convenience store nearby. You open the door and the bell rings, you briefly make eye contact with the orcish man behind the counter and smile. Then you make your way to the candy aisle and pick out a couple of your favorite chocolate bar and head over to the counter. Setting the items down on the counter you reach into your pocket and take out some cash as the orc scans your items.  
You pay for them and the orc mumbles, “Have a nice night.”  
“Thanks, you too,” you tiredly respond.  
You stuff the change he hands you into your front pocket and stuff the candy bars into your back pocket with your phone. And then you walk out of the convenience store and when you near the road you see a couple of guys walking towards you. You steer clear of the two men and quickly make your way to the sidewalk. You hear the bell on the door behind you ring as it opens…and then you hear shouting.  
You stop dead in your tracks.  
Glancing back over your shoulder, you then slowly creep back towards the building. When you get close enough you can see that the two men are pointing guns at the orcish store clerk. You look around and there’s no one else nearby, you inhale and walk back to the store and open the door. The bell rings and one of the gunmen immediately turns to you and aims his gun at you, “If I were you, I’d get the hell out of here, Sweetheart,” he says. Your eyes dart to the right and you spot a row of jugs of water. You step forward and grab one off the shelf and undo the lid.  
“DIDN’T YOU HEAR ME?! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, BEFORE I BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF!!” he shouts and the other gunman grabbing the cash from the register starts to turn towards you as well. And the second he takes his eyes off the orc, the orc grabs a baseball bat from under the counter and strikes the man on the back with it, and the man lets out a grunt as he doubles over. The gunman facing you starts to whirl around- “{To Float!}” you shout in Ancient Övüsi and both of them fly up and hit the ceiling, the guns and cash falling to the floor in the process.  
“{Negate Magic,}” you say.  
They both fall to the floor.  
“{Earthen Manacles,}” you say, and make a grasping motion with your hand over the water and draw it out of the plastic container and flick it in the two men’s direction. The water shoots towards them and wraps itself around their wrists and pulls their arms behind them and then solidifies into ice.  
“What the- You BITCH!” one of them shouts.  
“She’s a FUCKING BRIGHT!” the other one yells angrily.  
“Call the cops,” you say to the orc.  
“Cops?! More like the feds!” the orc replies.  
“What?!” you blurt out confused.  
The orc man picks up the phone and references a piece of paper nearby and starts dialing.  
“No wait, Please,” you beg stepping towards him.  
“Stay Back!” he warns holding the bat aloft, “They’ll be here soon to take you in.”  
You stop and stare at him horrified.  
“Please, please don’t…” you begin.  
“GET OUT!! Get out or I’ll call the MTF down here to arrest you!” he yells thrusting the bat at you. You shake your head slightly and back up slowly and then turn around and run out the door. You sprint down the street in the opposite direction of your apartment, tears streaming down your face. The sky rumbles overhead and it starts to rain heavily. You get drenched in a matter of minutes and then duck into an alleyway and stop, trying to catch your breath. You can’t go home they’ll find you, you’ll have to stay with Selina. But she’s in the elven district and you don’t have a car at the moment, which means you’ll have to walk. You look down at yourself; you’ll be seen way before you even reach the border. You slow your breathing and focus, “On the path that I tread, Must I hide from all I dread,” you whisper. 

Looking down at your hands, they start to fade until they disappear completely from your vision. You still see raindrops hitting the outlines of your hands between the spaces in the buildings. Glancing up, you will the rain to fall around you and as you look back down, not only can you no longer feel the water touching your skin, but it’s no longer giving you away either. Slowly, you make your way back out of the alleyway and down the street. You cross your arms and hold yourself, unfortunately you’re still soaking wet and now you’re freezing. Fortunately though due to the unexpected rain most people are starting to clear out of the streets having been unprepared for the sudden shift in weather. You continue making your way to the elven district, careful not to bump into anyone who obviously can’t see you. After walking for thirty minutes you see a black car speed down the road past you, and when you glance back at it, you see red and blue flashing lights in the back windshield.  
You swallow and continue on.

“Holy Shit,” Montehugh says dragging out his words.  
You look at him and he shakes his head, “No wonder we couldn’t find you.”  
“That’s actually…fairly resourceful,” Kandomere admits.  
You rub your forehead, “There’s um…there’s more,” you say.  
“Oh I’m sure there is,” Montehugh says.  
“Please, continue,” Kandomere says.

You finally reach the perimeter of the elven district and walk past the cars lined up at the entrance, cautiously eyeing the elves inside them. They may not can see you, but they can still hear and smell you. Because it’s been raining though even the convertibles have their tops covering them, which should reduce the chances of that significantly. You sneak past the human guards and duck under the bar separating you from the elven district. It’s completely dark now and you can see the last of the orcs making their way out of the elven district on the sidewalk nearby. You walk down the street away from the orcs hoping they don’t catch your scent, when you hear the rev of an engine behind you. You whip your head around and then immediately leap out of the way, as a Lamborghini narrowly avoids running you over. You let out a startled yelp and then quickly clap both of your hands over your mouth. Glancing up at the sidewalk you see one lone orc staring curiously in your direction. You see him lift his head and his nostrils flare slightly.  
This is bad, you’re a soaking wet, human trespassing into elf town.  
Holding up a hand you turn your palm to face you, and the wind shifts to blow past the orc and towards you. A look of confusion crosses his features and then he rubs his nose. A voice calls out and the orc man looks down the path at another orc who’s shouting back to him. Which you don’t understand, because you only know a couple words in orcish, but you summarize that he seems to be calling for the orc in front of you. The orc in front of you shouts back and waves him off and then he shakes his head at where you’re standing and gives a small shrug, his shoulders drooping as he continues towards the gates. Seeing no other orcs behind him, you hurriedly cross the street to the sidewalk and then walk deeper into the elven district. 

It’s not long before you find another alleyway and making sure there are no cameras around, you drop the invisibility. You wipe at your face and take a deep breath.  
“As I speak make me seem an elven maid,  
In clothing that is tailor-made,  
With silver eyes, sharpened teeth, and ears with tapered tips,  
Elegant from my neck to down past my hips,” you say.  
As you say the spell, white light forms in small specks around you and clings to your body and when you’re entirely covered there’s a bright flash of light, and you look down and examine yourself. Your nails are well manicured and come to long, sharp tips. There’s a silver bracelet adorning both wrists and a couple of rings on your fingers as well. And as for your clothes you’re wearing a sapphire blue, fitted dress that comes to your knees and a pair of matching heels. The collar of your dress comes up to your neck, but there’s a heart-shaped cutout just above your breasts. You hold up your hand and make like your holding something and a black umbrella appears and opens above you. You twirl it experimentally and the rain “appears” to be falling off of it normally. Walking out of the alleyway you then confidently stroll down the sidewalk. As you start to pass by the elves still outside also sporting umbrellas, they give you no more attention than a polite nod of acknowledgement. 

You continue on until finally, you reach Selina’s apartment complex. You make a show of shaking off your umbrella and then closing it and open the first set of doors. Stepping inside you’re about to open the second set of doors when a purple and short-haired elven man wearing a gilded,13880 gaudy suit opens it first. His eyes are wide as he stops short and at first you’re afraid that your illusion must have failed somehow, but then he straightens and smiles at you.  
And you’re suddenly really uncomfortable.  
“{Pardon me,}” he says in elvish and steps back to hold the door open for you.  
You stare at the elven man in front of you and then at the open door, and force a polite smile at him as you step through. When you do you hear him inhale and your heart starts beating faster.  
You turn to look at him, “{Thank you,}” you return politely.  
His eyes flick down to your chest where the cutout is and then up at your face again.  
“{The pleasure is all mine,}” he says and wets his lips.  
“{Well, goodbye,}” you say and turn away from him and grimace.  
You briskly walk to the elevator and push the button, hoping he doesn’t decide to follow you. You exhale as it opens and then push the button for Selina’s floor and the doors close and it begins moving. When it stops, you exit and walk down the hall to Selina’s door. Standing in front of it, you take your keys out of your pocket and go to unlock the door.

You’re about to put the key in the lock when you hear it click and it opens…seemingly of it’s own accord. You can hear soft classical music playing; you straighten and walk into the warm lit interior. The door slowly shuts behind you and locks itself. You finally drop your illusion and then remove your wet shoes and socks and place them on a mat near the door. Stepping forward you briefly look to your right at the antique cabinet filled with porcelain and glass figures. They’re mostly of unicorns, but there are a few other magical creatures in there such as phoenixes and a couple of dragons. You glance at one of the unicorns in particular: a white, and lavender painted porcelain figure with silver accents on the horn, mane and tail. The unicorn is in a laying position with its head turned to look behind it. You tap on it with your finger and feel a warmth in your chest.

You smile and then continue on, stepping into the living room that is decorated with a fancy white couch and chairs that have a coffee table sat between them. The “L” shaped couch is on the left wall and has the “L” part sat directly next to the window that covers the entire back wall. The crème colored curtains are currently drawn over the windows, because it’s raining, but the lights from the street below still peek through the cracks. On the right wall there’s a low bookshelf with an old record player sat on top of it, but that’s not where the music is coming from. No, the music is coming from the modern and expensive stereo sitting next to it. The bookshelf has an assortment of old books on it, some so old you can barely read the titles anymore, but there are also newer ones mixed in. But right now your attention is currently drawn to the middle of the room, where two chairs sit facing one another, parallel to the couch. 

In the chair opposite you is sat Selina, the pale, tall half-elven woman has her legs crossed and her hands folded in her lap and watches you silently with her silver eyes as you slowly walk towards her. Her long, gray hair is put up in a tight bun high on her head and she wears a lace, lavender dress that comes down just past her knees and a pair of white heels. You walk around the empty chair closest to you and sit down. You notice on the dark, round table a silver tray with a tea kettle, two mugs, two cloth napkins, a jar of sugar, and to your delight a plate filled with macarons. They’re two different colors, half of them are blue and the other half are purple, you pick up a blue one and grab a white cloth napkin beside the silver tray. You fold the napkin on your lap and are about to bite into the macaron when Selina raises her left hand and snaps her fingers. You glance up in time to see a table of high tech equipment along with a laptop shimmer into view. The half-elf reaches over to her right and clicks a button, and then folds her hands in her lap once more.  
“Negative, we’re all clear over here,” a voice says.  
“No sign of the target on our end,” another voice says. “Alright well, keep looking she’s on foot she couldn’t have gotten far,” a gruff voice says.  
“Affirmative, tightening the sweep, Sir,” one of the voices replies.  
“Boss, wants that Bright found ASAP,” the gruff voice says.  
Selina reaches back over and clicks it off, and then stares unblinking at you.  
You slowly set the macaron in your lap and fold your hands and purse your lips, “I’m sorry, Aunt Selina I-“ you begin.  
“What were you thinking?” she says sternly.  
You withdraw into yourself.  
“Do you have any idea how serious this is?” she snarls baring her teeth. Which are for the most part entirely human, except her canines those are still as sharp as an elf’s, giving her a very vampiric look.  
“Of course I do,” you say quietly.  
“What if they’d caught you?!” she says angrily.  
Her eyes are pinpricks and you’re not sure if her silver eyes are just catching the light or actually starting to glow.  
“What then?!” she continues, “What would you have done?”  
“Escape?” you offer uncertain.  
She shakes her head slightly, “Did they see your face? Were you followed?”  
“Only the guys robbing the store and the clerk,” you say, “And I used that invisibility spell just like you taught me,” you add.  
“What about the security footage?” she asks.  
“Um...” you mutter.  
Selina sighs, “Little One, you can’t make these sorts of mistakes, they’ll cost you your life,” she says.  
“They were going to kill him,” you say quietly.  
She leans back in her chair and sighs heavily, closing her eyes.  
She opens them again and stares at you, “You did the right thing.”  
Her pupils start to dilate to a normal amount and her eyes dim.  
“We’ll just have to be more careful now,” she says softly.  
She reaches out for your hand and you extend it towards her. She takes your hand in both of hers and holds it tight, “I’m glad you made it here safely. Now, would you like some tea?” she asks.  
“Yes, please,” you say smiling.  
She picks up one of the cups and hands it to you, and then she picks up her own cup. Picking up your macaron, you bite into it, and Selina sips her tea and immediately makes a face, “Oh no, this is yours,” she says and attempts to hand it to you.  
“Oh Gross! I’m not drinking that now,” you say.  
“What? It’s just got a little lipstick on it,” she counters.  
“And backwash. I noticed that there’s less purple macarons than blue and you always make an even amount in every color,” you say pointedly.  
She looks down at the plate, smiles and points at you, “Fair enough.”  
“{To Float,}” she says in ancient Övüsi.  
The teacup floats up into the air and drifts off through the door leading to the dining room and from there to the kitchen. After a moment a new cup makes its way into the room, and you know it’s a different one, because it’s covered in flowers instead of silver accents. The cup with a fresh teabag in it floats over the table and Selina waves her hand and the tea kettle floats up and pours water into the cup, and then the cup floats towards you. Reaching out you take it and let the untouched teacup still in your hand go and it floats towards the half-elf, she takes it and sips her tea. Having finished your macaron, you put a couple more on your napkin and then when your tea has steeped you take a sip as well.  
“Ah, I’ll never understand why you like elvish tea so much,” Selina comments taking another sip of hers.  
“Oh come on it’s not that bad,” you say.  
“I’m still not convinced,” she says and takes another sip.  
“By the way the guest room is already made up for you. I know it’s still early, but after all the magic you’ve used today, you must be exhausted,” Selina says.  
She’s right, you can feel the ache in your muscles already, now that the immediate danger has passed.  
“I am going to make pasta should you wish to stay awake long enough to eat it. Otherwise, there will be leftovers in the fridge,” she says smiling and stands up to take her empty cup to the kitchen.  
“Thank you, Aunt Selina, what would I do without you,” you say.  
She stops abruptly and turns back to you.  
Selina smiles fondly at you, “You’re quite capable yourself, Little One, I know it.”

Eventually you take your empty cup back to the kitchen, where you find Selina hand making pasta. Cooking is the one thing after over two hundred years that she hasn’t budged on for modern convenience. If building codes allowed her to have an actual fire pit to stoke or wood-burning stove, she’d rather have that than an electric oven, but to her credit she’s a damn good cook. She’s even criticized on more than one occasion the food chefs have made in the elven district when the two of you have gone to lunch.  
You let out a yawn.  
“Heading to bed then?” she asks.  
You nod.  
Selina didn’t need to use magic to hear your thoughts on that matter, it was as plain as day, speaking of which…  
“Oh, should I stop the…” you trail off, listening to the sound of rain from outside.  
Selina frowns and shakes her head, “No, I think it’ll actually work out in our favor, keep them guessing,” she says with a smile.  
“Alright, goodnight,” you say.  
“Goodnight, Dear,” she returns.  
You head to the guestroom and from there to the bathroom attached to it. Removing your clothes after shutting the door, you then step into the shower and wash the day off of you. After you’re done you wrap a towel around yourself and head over to the dresser. You always keep some of your clothes here just in case. There are also fancy, elvish style clothes in the drawers and closet as well, for walking around the elven district.

“Wait, wait, wait, what do you mean for walking around the elven district?” Montehugh asks.  
You sigh, “Me and Selina use an illusion to disguise ourselves as pure-blood elves and the clothing helps with that.”  
Kandomere says nothing, because he already knew this, and instead turns back to you expectantly.  
“Anyway as I was saying…”

You ignore those for now in favor of a light, matching pj set. Letting out another yawn, you pull back the covers and crawl into bed. Your head barely hits the pillow before you feel yourself drifting off to sleep.

You wake up the next morning to the smell of food cooking. You pull back the covers and stretch and let out another yawn. Walking to the door you open it and then walk down the hallway and push open the door to the kitchen. Selina’s already dressed in a pair of white pants and a purple blouse and turns to you when you enter.  
“Ah, there you are, I was wondering when you’d come around,” she says.  
You rub your eyes, “What time is it?”  
“About five past eight,” she says returning to her skillet and flipping a pancake in it.  
“Let me guess you got up at five again?” you ask.  
She turns to you and smiles, “No, actually I slept in a little, I got up around five-forty,” she replies.  
“Of course,” you mutter sleepily.  
Selina’s always been a morning person and she doesn’t even drink coffee.  
“Are those pancakes?” you ask stepping over to her.  
“Yes, and I made bacon, biscuits, and eggs,” she states.  
“Do the pancakes have-“ you begin.  
“Chocolate chips?” she asks already knowing the answer,” Yours do, I’ve already made quite a few for you, so you can go ahead and help yourself.”  
You go into one of the cabinets and pull down one plate and then stop.  
Looking back up at the dishes in the cabinet, you look back at Selina.  
“Did you already set the table?” you ask.  
Her head tilts in your direction slightly, “No, not yet.”  
“Oh, well then I’ll do it,” you say.  
“Thank you, Dear, that’s very sweet of you,” Selina says.  
You take down a couple more plates and then push your way through the double, swinging kitchen doors into the dining room. The larger plates you set in the center of yours and Selina’s spots at the table and place smaller saucers near them for teacups. You retrieve silverware, napkins, and glasses from the kitchen and place them appropriately as well. And by the time you’re finished, Selina is done cooking and helps you take the food out in serving dishes. The curtains are drawn over the large windows and you can hear the steady rainfall outside, you pour yourself some juice and take a sip.  
“Don’t worry, Dear, I have a plan for how to deal with them,” Selina says.  
You glance at her and then look down and your shoulders slump, “What if they find me? What if I didn’t cover my tracks well enough?” you question.  
Selina puts a hand up, “Not to worry we’ll take care of it later today. Besides they’ll never find you, not while I’m around,” she says smiling and takes a sip of her tea.  
You return the smile and then pour syrup on your pancakes.

After breakfast you help Selina put up the food and then wash the dishes, and set them in a drying rack. Then you head back to your room and change out of your pajamas into some leggings and a dark-grey, pullover sweatshirt. You walk out of your room and down the hall to the right and open the next door over that belongs to the study, and peruse the various bookshelves for something to read. You look over your shoulder and spot a book with pink binding and gold embossed letters. Curious, you step over to it and pick it up and look at the cover.  
It says: ‘A Moonlit Courtship’ so a romance novel then?  
Opening it up you look through the first few pages, it’s an older book, so there isn’t an index or anything, but it is written in English.  
You close it and then walk out of the study, closing the door behind you.  
Walking to the living room you sit in the “L” shaped part of the couch and pull your feet up under you and grab a pillow from nearby to prop yourself up. 

You’ve read through the first twenty pages when Selina walks into the room, and no longer does she appear to be only a half-elf, but full elf. Her hair is now a soft lavender shade, all of her teeth bare the same sharpness, and her wrinkles are smoothed out and she appears younger. And in addition to what she already had on she’s now wearing a jacket, shoes, and carrying her purse and an umbrella.  
“I’m going to brunch with the girls I’ll be back soon,” Selina says.  
“Brunch? But you just ate,” you say.  
“Oh, no one’s going to actually eat a full meal. They just want to eat pastries and sip on mimosas and get day-drunk while they bitch about their problems,” she replies.  
“Oh. Well, have fun I guess…” you say.  
She sighs heavily and then tilts her head at you curiously.  
“What are you reading?” she asks.  
“Huh? Oh,” you say and turn the cover around and read the title, “’A Moonlit Courtship.’”  
“I’ve never read that one,” she says softly.  
“Really? It looks kinda old,” you say.  
“It is, I got it a long time ago as a sort of what we would call now, gag-gift,” she explains. “My elven ‘friends’ had quite a laugh about it, of course I had to pretend it was funny as well,” she sighs.  
You look down at the book, “I mean it’s actually pretty good so far.”  
“You don’t know what it’s about do you?” she questions.  
“No, why? Is it bad?” you ask.  
She shakes her head slightly, “No, not to us. If you like it you can keep it, you’ll probably enjoy…that particular narrative more than I will.”  
“Oh, thanks,” you respond.  
Selina smiles and waves at you, “Bye, I’ll be back in about an hour.”  
“Bye, Aunt Selina,” you say.  
And with that she walks out the door and locks it behind her. 

You end up getting engrossed in your book and lose track of time, you’re now more than a hundred and fifty pages into the book and the elven man who is the love interest is holding the woman’s hand as he shows her these beautiful gardens. He starts to lean in towards her…and the door slams shut and you let out a startled yelp. Selina enters the room, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you,” she apologizes.  
You quickly recover, “How was brunch?”  
“Dreadful,” she answers.  
“Oh,” you mutter.  
She pinches the bridge of her nose, “Valera, only wanted to complain about how hard HER life in particular was and how NO ONE could understand. And don’t even get me started on Lorneth, woman would not shut up about her husband,” Selina continues making angry gestures with her hands.  
“Wow, that sounds awful, I’m sorry,” you say.  
She rubs her forehead now, “And to make matters worse, what was supposed to be an hour turned into two and a half!” she exclaims.  
“Two and a half?! It’s been that long?” you ask surprised.  
She looks over at you, “Didn’t you notice?”  
“No, I was busy reading,” you say shyly and hold up the book.  
She smiles and laughs softly, “A good book can really pass the time huh?”  
You nod.  
“Well, get ready. It’s time for the two of us to run interference on those men at the MTF,” Selina says.  
You place the ribbon bookmark in your spot in the book, and stand to walk to your room, where you set the book down on the dresser and then pull out some jeans and a jacket. And using your magic to disguise yourself as an elf once more, you head out with Selina.

“So what does ‘interference’ entail exactly?” Montehugh questions.  
You smile at him, “Giving you all the run around.”

“Alright, see that parked car?” Selina asks.  
You look where she’s pointing and see a black car parked next to the curb, with two men in suits sitting in it.  
“Yeah,” you confirm.  
“I want you to walk past them,” Selina says.  
“What?!” you blurt out horrified.  
“I thought we were supposed to be avoiding them, not going straight to them!” you exclaim.  
“Shh keep it down, and we’re not,” she whispers.  
“These two here are on the outskirts of the perimeter they’ve set up, so we’re going to expand their search. Just walk past them and when they chase you, I want you to duck into the nearest alleyway and get to the roof,” she explains.  
You glance at them and chew your lip.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here in case anything goes wrong,” she assures you.  
“Ok,” you say exhaling, and then you walk out from behind a car and cross the street.  
When you near the car with the MTF agents, you try to act as nonchalant as possible, like you don’t know they’re there. You get about fifteen feet past them, when you hear the opening and closing of car doors. Glancing back you see them walking towards you and you take off running, “Hey!” one of them shouts. You can hear them running after you as you sprint down the street, and then duck into an alleyway, and are immediately met with a dead end. 

Spinning around you face them as they come into view and then cautiously approach you. “Put your hands where I can see them,” one of the agents says drawing his gun and advancing on you. You stare at him and smile and then spin around and a swirling gust of wind carries you up into the air and you land softly on the roof of the building. Where Selina already has a portal open for you and you step through into another alleyway and smile at her.

“Well done,” she says, “Come on we’ve another stop to make.”  
The half-elf casts an invisibility spell and helps you into the car and then drives off. The two of you end up driving to the suburbs somewhere with you still invisible in the passenger’s seat. Selina parks and steps out of the car and opens your side so you can get out and pretends she only did it to retrieve her bag and umbrella. It’s not currently raining in this area, unlike it was with the agents earlier.  
Selina has currently used her magic to make herself look human and though she doesn’t look much older than usual, it’s unusual to see a pair of warm, brown eyes staring back at you as opposed to her silver ones. Her illusory clothes aren’t super fancy either, she still looks nice, but more like somebody’s mother.  
Also, you don’t think she actually owns any jeans.  
“What do you want me to do?” you whisper.  
“Make it rain,” she says simply gesturing upwards with her hands.  
“That’s it?” you ask.  
She nods.  
You look up at the sky and close your eyes and focus on the clouds above, you hear a rumbling overhead and then hear rain hitting the sidewalk. But you don’t feel it touch you, and opening your eyes, you see Selina holding the open umbrella over the two of you. Then she reaches into her purse, pulls out her phone and selects one of her contacts. Holding it up to her ear, she smiles and waits. And there must have been an answer, because she starts speaking. Well, crying rather.  
“Hello? Oh is this the right number? Oh please…I need someone to help me,” she sobs. She pauses and there’s a response on the other end, as she keeps up some light sniffles. Then she describes you to the person on the other end and what street you’re on.  
“Oh it was terrible! Her eyes were all glowing and she was making things levitate, you have to send someone straight away!” she exclaims.  
“Oh thank you! Please hurry!” she says and then hangs up the phone.  
“Well, it looks like they’re on their way,” she says smiling at you.

“Wait a minute, so that WAS YOU?!” Montehugh exclaims.  
“Well, technically it was my Aunt,” you correct.  
“Then she portaled me to a couple of other spots to make sure it was raining all over the city,” you explain.  
“It seems you were…very good at covering your tracks,” Kandomere sighs seemingly disappointed. Which you’re not sure why, I mean he still found you.  
“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised considering there were actually two of you,” he continues. There’s that same pained expression on his face as the one you saw earlier with the stone, elven woman.  
But just like earlier you know it’s not directed at you.  
He notices you staring at him and he quickly hides his expression.  
“What happened then?” he asks clearly deflecting.  
You stare at him a moment and then continue.

The next morning over breakfast Selina asks you to go shopping with her. So you stop the rain temporarily and spend a couple hours walking around to all the different shops in the elven district. Selina is wearing a translucent, lavender top with silver unicorns and flowers covering it, and white pants with white sandals. While you’re wearing a sapphire-blue, short-sleeve top with a black, circle skirt and ballet flats. Selina stops abruptly and you’re yanked backwards a bit, because the two of you were walking with your arms linked together.  
“Oh, sorry, Dear,” she apologizes.  
“It’s alright,” you reply, “What is it?”  
She looks at you from behind her dark sunglasses and then turns her head to the right to look at the store you’ve stopped in front of. You follow her gaze and see it’s a high-end perfume store.  
“Do you still have some of that perfume left?” she asks turning back to you.  
“I haven’t smelled you wear it recently,” she continues.  
“Oh um…I ran out a while ago,” you say smoothing down your skirt.  
“Well then, I should buy you some more,” Selina says and starts to walk towards the store. “Aunt Selina, wait,” you say and she stops.  
“You don’t have to get it for me, really it’s fine,” you mutter.  
“Nonsense, it’s your favorite!” she counters.  
“Well, yeah but-“ you begin.  
But it’s so expensive.  
You dare not say those words out loud in the elven district.  
“Consider it an early birthday present,” she offers.  
“You said that about the last one,” you remind her.  
She sighs, “I’m getting it for you and that’s that,” and she lets go of you and starts to walk towards the store. You have no choice but to follow her. Selina opens the door and walks in and you follow close behind. The lilac-haired elven woman in a black dress behind the counter looks up as you enter, “{Hi, can I help you ladies with anything?}”  
Selina approaches the counter, “{Yes, actually I’m looking for Eternal Rose.}”  
“{Ah, a very popular choice,}” the woman says and then moves further down the counter and the two of you follow her. She takes a key out and unlocks one of the display cases and pulls out a couple of red boxes with gold leafing etched into them.  
“{You’re in luck I have two left,}” she says.  
“{Perfect, I’ll take them both,}” Selina states.  
You keep a neutral expression, but internally you’re screaming.  
The elven woman nods and rings up the items and Selina fishes out her wallet from her clutch and pulls out a debit card. You avoid looking at the total as Selina inserts the card into the chip reader.  
One bottle alone is more than what you pay for two months rent.  
The transaction goes through and the woman starts putting the items in a little gift bag.  
“{So is this for you or?}” the woman trails off.  
“{Oh it’s for my niece”} Selina says and gestures to you, and you smile.  
“{Every little bit helps when trying to find her a suitor,}” Selina continues.  
Your eyes widen, “{Aunt, Selina,}” you warn.  
“{What? It’s true,}” Selina counters.  
The elven woman smiles and puts the receipt in the bag.  
“{I’m sure your future husband is going to love this on you,}” Selina continues.  
You accept the bag handed to you and politely thank the elven woman and then the two of you walk out of the store. 

When the two of you stop at a light and wait for the crosswalk, Selina’s grip on your arm suddenly becomes tight. You look up at her but she doesn’t make eye contact.  
“{I just remembered something I forgot,}” she says and starts to pull you away down the sidewalk and you follow unsure what has caused her alarm. As you get some distance from the crosswalk, “That man is an MTF agent,” she says quietly.  
“What? Which one?” you ask softly.  
“The one with the blue hair,” she answers softly.  
You immediately look over your shoulder and only see one such individual with his back to you in the midst of a phone call wearing a blue-pinstriped suit.  
Selina pinches your arm.  
“Ow,” you complain.  
“Don’t look,” she hisses.

Montehugh smiles wide at you and then looks to Kandomere.  
Who is just staring at you fingers steepled and mouth slightly agape.  
“Well, how ‘bout that, Boss?” Montehugh questions.  
The elf just sighs and runs his fingers through his hair.  
Does, he look…embarrassed?  
Montehugh chuckles, “So then what?”

You arrive back at Selina’s apartment and there’s a human delivery man outside her door, and Selina is instantly suspicious.  
“Yes, do you need something?” she asks sternly.  
“I need a signature for this, Ma’am,” he says obviously startled.  
“Oh,” she responds.  
She signs for the package and takes the small, brown parcel from him, and then the man hurriedly makes his way past the two of you. Selina examines it and snaps her fingers and the door unlocks itself and opens. The two of you walk inside and the door shuts behind you and locks itself again. You take off your shoes when you enter and carry them with you.  
Selina stops just a ways into the living room, still staring at the package.  
Staring over her shoulder at the label, “Who’s-“ you begin.  
“A broker,” she answers quickly turning to you and holding the package close to her chest. “A specialty broker,” she adds.  
“Oh, alright,” you say a little confused by her secrecy.  
As you walk to your room, Selina heads to hers, and you look at the bag in your hands, “Thank you for the perfume, Aunt Selina,” you say.  
She stops with her hand on the doorknob and turns to you and smiles, “You’re very welcome, Dear,” she says and goes into her room and shuts the door behind her. 

That night as Selina’s cooking dinner you pace back and forth in the kitchen staring at your phone.  
“Just call them already,” Selina says stirring the pot of soup.  
“I will I just-“ you begin and then let out an exasperated sigh and run your fingers through your hair. Selina turns to you, “You’re allowed to take sick days and since you never actually use them anyway you should have plenty,” she continues.  
“I know, but is it going to be convincing enough?” you question.  
Suddenly the phone is pulled from your grasp and you turn in the half-elf’s direction. Selina dials the number and you try to grab it from her, but she’s too swift and expertly avoids your attempts.  
“Yes, Hello I’m calling, because my niece is unfortunately very ill and will be unable to come into work tomorrow, maybe even the rest of the week,” Selina lies.  
“Oh, yes she’s been violently vomiting all day, it must be the flu,” Selina continues.  
You give her a look and she grins.  
“Thank you, for understanding, I’m sure with a week of rest she’ll be right as rain, Goodbye,” Selina finishes.  
“Right as rain?” you ask an eyebrow raised.  
“WELL, I thought it was funny,” Selina remarks.

The next day Selina lets you sleep in despite the fact that you don’t actually have the flu and when you eventually wander out of your room, “Ah there you are,” she greets you. “I have a homework assignment for you,” she continues.  
Your shoulders slump, “What is it?”  
So much for a day off.  
“I need you to perfect a tracking spell by the end of this week,” she explains.  
“A tracking spell? You know I’m no good at divining magic,” you whine.  
“Well, then make something that does work for you,” she replies.  
You sigh, “Alright.”  
“Good, you have the rest of the week to practice,” she says with a smile.

So over the next few days, you try a couple of elven spells, but nothing seems to have the desired effect, so you start scribbling away in your notebook, trying to find a string of words that means something to you. A couple of them are okay sounding, but you’re still having trouble getting the intent across. It’s only when Selina is out with her friends Friday, that you finally get something that works. You wanted the spell to find you books after having exhausted trying to search for everything else in the room. And are startled, but also ecstatic when the entire study you’re sitting in assails your nostrils with the scent of books.  
You could smell them before, obviously, but now the scent is so much stronger.  
Taking a nearby book you hide it under one of the pillows of the small couch and smile when you can feel your new magical sense of smell tell you it’s there.  
This might not be exactly what Selina meant, but it works.  
You get up and step out of the study to head to your room to retrieve your phone from the dresser and stop. 

And turn to glance down the hallway at Selina’s closed door.  
Generally, you don’t go in Selina’s room when she’s not here, but you can smell more books in her room. Which, isn’t surprising she does have a couple of bookshelves in there too, it’s just that there’s a strange scent, and you know from the magic in the spell that it’s an old, leather-bound book. The strange part is not that it’s old or bound in leather, no the strange part is you know it’s a recent addition to Selina’s collection, because it doesn’t smell like her.  
You walk towards her room, open the door and glance around inside, and take a long inhale. Turning your head to the left you stare at Selina’s bed, the book is over there. You flick on the light and step into the room, and then round the bed, but you don’t see it on her bedside table.  
Inhaling again, you realize it’s under the mattress.  
You glance back at the door, you don’t want to snoop, but curiosity is getting the better of you, and you pull back the comforter and lift up the mattress and spot the old, worn book. Gingerly you pull it out and set the mattress back down, looking it over you open it, it’s not written in elvish but you still can’t read the language. You frown and flip through it and come to a few drawings, they’re just small drawings of dragons and you huff a little in amusement as you turn the page. And frown again when you see a drawing of a winged dragon curled overtop and around a gemstone. There are a few numbers scrawled next to it, which you presume to be measurements for some kind of jewelry piece. You close the book and stuff it back under the mattress and pull the covers back into place.

When Selina returns, you tell her about your new spell.  
“Well, it’s a little unorthodox, but if it works,” she says.  
“It does,” you confirm nodding.  
“Hmm how ‘bout we put it to the test then?” she asks.  
Selina has you wait in your room while she hides something for you to track in the apartment, and after a few minutes you hear a knock on your door. You open it and Selina hands you a small, black piece of rock.  
“I want you track this,” she states, “I’ve hidden another piece of obsidian like it somewhere nearby.”  
You look at the obsidian you’re holding and mutter your spell. When you feel it take effect, you inhale the scent of the volcanic glass and then step into the hallway. Inhaling again you try to pinpoint it’s location, you glance towards Selina’s room, the laundry room, and the study, no it’s not that way. Then you turn back towards the dining room and kitchen and sense it in that direction, you walk forwards and Selina follows watching curiously. You start to go towards the dining room, but stop, it smells like it was in there earlier, but that’s not where the fresher scent is coming from. Instead you step through the door into the kitchen and wander around, you open a few of the cabinets, not here either.  
Then your attention turns to the fridge and you purse your lips.  
You move towards it and open the doors and are immediately hit with the foul stench of some blue cheese sitting on a plate on the top shelf. Covering your mouth and nose you gag, it’s so much stronger with your magic senses. You’re about to close the refrigerator in an attempt to get a reprieve from the offending odor when you catch a whiff of the scent you’re after. You grab the plate and set it on the island and close the doors to the refrigerator. Slowly, you lift up the cheese as Selina watches silently, and you see sitting underneath a tiny fragment of obsidian. You hand it to Selina, as you feel the spell fade, and she smiles at you.  
“Well done, Little One,” she praises you.

That night after the two of you have finished eating dinner, you’re helping Selina clear the table when she levitates her mug, tea kettle, and plate with her into the kitchen through the swinging doors. You’re gathering up your own plate and utensils when you hear a crash come from the kitchen. You immediately abandon your task and rush into the kitchen to check on your Aunt. Pushing through the doors, you find the half-elf doubled over clutching the kitchen island for support.  
“Selina! What happened?!” you exclaim and round the other side of the counter and step full-force onto a broken piece of ceramic. You cry out and grab a hold of the counter as well, Selina’s head snaps up in your direction and she’s at your side in an instant.  
“Oh I’m terribly sorry. Come, Little One, let’s tend to that,” she says and wraps an arm around you and helps you hobble to her master bathroom. You sit down on the closed toilet seat and she takes out the first aid kit from under the sink. She then lifts up your bleeding foot and examines it and tsks.  
“I still see a small piece in there,” she states and pulls out a pair of tweezers.  
She pulls it out and sets it on the counter nearby and then gets a cloth from inside the kit and wets it with water and then begins cleaning the cut. Selina then pulls out another cloth and pours alcohol on it this time and presses it to the wound, causing you to wince.  
“Sorry, Dear,” she apologizes again.  
She removes the cloth slightly to examine it, and then places a hand on your foot and then her eyes glow a bright, white light as she focuses her magic. You feel the pain subside and Selina’s eyes dim and the definition in her irises seeps back out from her pupils and they’re silver again.  
She examines your foot once more, “How does it feel?”  
“Much better,” you say.  
You pick up your foot and rub your fingers over the skin, and you note that there’s a small scar where the wound was sealed, odd that should have healed completely. You stare up at Selina who is busy cleaning up the blood and discarding the used cloths.  
Furrowing your brows, “Aunt Selina?”  
“Hmm?” she responds.  
“Are you ok?” you ask quietly.  
She looks at you and smiles, “Why of course.”  
“Alright,” you reply softly and you help her clean up the bathroom, the hall, and then the mess in the kitchen. And you note she doesn’t use anymore magic the remainder of the evening.  
When you finally go to bed, you sit on the edge of the mattress and stare at your foot. You rub it for a moment and then close your eyes and focus your own magic on it. And opening them again you find that the cut is now completely healed.  
Perhaps it’s just stress from everything going on this past week, and Selina has been looking really tired lately, but you’re fairly certain that her levitation spell failed and that’s how the dishes broke.  
But…she uses magic all the time, without even hardly thinking about it.  
You resign yourself to ask her about it tomorrow and pull the covers back and rest your head on the pillow.

You wake up the next day sometime after noon and put on some clothes and step out of your room and shut the door and it’s…quiet. Usually Selina would be listening to music or perhaps she’s just reading a book? And then you look at her door down the hall and see it still closed with the light off.  
You approach and gently knock on her door, “Aunt Selina?” you call softly.  
No answer.  
Maybe she’s out.  
You turn the knob to find it unlocked and slowly open it, and see Selina still in bed with the comforter pulled tight around her. And after listening for a moment you can hear the sound of her gentle breathing. It’s unusual for her to sleep in so late, you gently close the door again and head to the kitchen.  
Maybe SHE’S the one getting sick.  
So you brew her an herbal tea remedy, and make some fresh chicken, noodle soup. You prepare her meal and arrange it on a bed tray and walk to her door, and open it and flick on the light, “Aunt Selina?”  
She grumbles and stirs and then props herself up on an elbow to stare at you. “What?” she asks tiredly and then she notices the food you’ve brought her.  
She glances at the alarm clock and turns it towards her, then she sits up and rubs her eyes, “I guess I must have slept in,” she mumbles.  
You walk towards her with the tray.  
“What’s all this?” she asks gesturing to the food.  
“Well, I thought you might not be feeling ok so I made you lunch,” you say placing it in front of her. “Aw, that was sweet of you,” she says.  
Selina eats the food you’ve brought her and after she’s done, you take the empty bowl and cup back to the kitchen. You then return to her with a fresh cup of tea and she takes it from you.  
“So how are you feeling?” you ask tentatively.  
“Better now that I’ve had some of this tea and wonderful soup you’ve made,” she says. You smile.  
You glance down then back up at the half-elf sipping the tea, “How are you feeling magic-wise?” you question. She pauses and stares at you for a moment and then sets the tea back on the saucer on her bedside table. She lets out a sigh and looks down and then back up at you to where you’re seated on the edge of the bed.  
“I’m just old, Dear, my magic just isn’t what it used to be,” she says.  
You shake your head and give her a half-hearted smile, “I don’t understand.”  
She reaches out and takes your hand in hers, “I’m merely reaching the end of my lifespan, Little One,” she says simply.  
You shake your head again in disbelief, “No, you’re going to easily outlive me, my kids, and my grandkids.”  
Selina shakes her head sadly, “No, Dear, you’re confusing me with ELVES. I have lived a long life, yes, some two hundred years, but there will come a time when you’ll have to live without me. It may still be twenty years from now, but it’s going to happen, and you need to be prepared for it.”  
You feel tears slip out of your eyes and down your cheeks.  
Selina sighs, “Come here, Little One.”  
You lean towards her and she embraces you.

Selina doesn’t leave her bed almost the entire day, but you sit and watch tv with her in her room while she’s awake, and the next morning you go to check on her, only to find she’s woken up before you and then left the apartment.  
There’s a note for you in the kitchen that explains she’s gone to visit her broker.  
And when she returns she seems upset by something, but she shrugs off your attempts to question her. 

Monday and Tuesday, Selina seems to be feeling herself again and volunteers to drive you to and from work to help ensure the MTF doesn’t spot you. And upon arriving back at her apartment Tuesday night she asks for your help with finding something and she wants you to use that new spell of yours to track it down. Selina stresses that it’s incredibly important to find it tonight and you agree to help her. So the two of you gather a few things before you leave, and then walk outside to a nearby alleyway, and from there Selina portals you both to an alleyway near your apartment. Once there you pick up your backpack and your own spellbook and then both of you take your car and drive outside the city limits…

Kandomere starts to rise out of his chair, but you put a hand up and stop him.  
You take a few breaths and Montehugh leans over and pats you on the shoulder. Then you inhale and continue…

After driving for a while Selina has you pullover and she indicates for you to go down an old road. You stare at it hesitantly and then back at Selina, and then you drive down the winding road for a long while in silence. Finally Selina asks you to stop again and you both get out of the car. She has you walk through the scrub brush with her away from the road. You take out your flashlight from your backpack, while Selina walks ahead of you unhindered by the lack of light. She stops suddenly and looks around, and lets out a sigh and turns to you, “Let me see your bag.”  
You hand her your backpack and she pulls out her spellbook and ingredients and kneels down. The ground here is dry, despite the fact that dark clouds hang in the sky above, which means that it’s only been raining in the city of L.A. 

Selina opens her book and flips through it until she finds the spell she wants and then lays it open on the ground. She then pulls out her dried herbs and places them carefully, then she places that same piece of obsidian in the center of everything else. She reads the Ancient Övüsi from the book and there’s a glow that forms in her eyes as well as the ingredients themselves. Then there’s a bright flash and a fire spreads across the dried herbs and incinerates them. 

Selina lets out a curse and snatches the book and obsidian up off the ground and stands dusting herself off. She lets out an exasperated sigh and puts the book back in the bag. “It looks like you’ll have to be the one to track it, my magic won’t get me any further,” Selina says. You shake your head at the half-elf, “Track What? Aunt Selina, why are we out here?!” you demand.  
“In the middle of nowhere!” you continue.  
She stares at you and purses her lips, “We are here to find a magic amulet.”  
“An amulet? But amulets are incredibly powerful why would-“ you say shaking your head again. “Yes, which is why we need we need to find it and keep it safe, especially this one,” Selina interrupts.  
“I don’t understand if it’s in the middle of nowhere isn’t it safe enough already?” you question. “No, now use your magic to find it,” Selina says holding the obsidian out to you.  
“How do you even know about this amulet? How do you know it’s here?” you ask.  
Selina sighs again, “I don’t have time to explain everything, Dear.”  
“Well, then why couldn’t you explain earlier?! When you had the time?!” you counter. “Because I wasn’t sure it was necessary!” she yells back.  
“You didn’t think it was necessary for ME to know you were planning on finding a dangerous, magic relic?!” you shoot back.  
She opens her mouth and stares at you.  
“Do you plan on using it?” you ask softly.  
“What?! No! Of course not! I want to keep HIM from getting a hold of it!” she shouts.  
“Who?! Who’s trying to find it?!” you ask.  
Selina looks down, “An elven man, he’s been searching for it for years and now he’s coming HERE tonight to claim it.”  
“How do you know this?” you question.  
“It’s a long story,” she says rubbing her forehead, “We don’t have to keep the amulet either, we can hide it somewhere else, somewhere he won’t-“  
“NO,” you say interrupting her, “We need to take it someone who will protect it.”  
She looks at you and furrows her brows, “The Magic Task Force?”  
“Once they know what it is, they’ll more than happily take it from us, we just have to explain to them-“  
“No, I’m not having them take you from me,” Selina interjects, “We’ll put it somewhere in the city and leave an anonymous call, they’ll find it, put it under lock and key and hopefully forget all about you.”  
You nod, “Alright.”  
“I’ll…I’ll explain everything when it’s out of his hands, but I need you to help me find it, Please,” Selina says and holds out the obsidian again.  
You take it from her.  
“Near or far, to find what is hidden, Even what the world thought it was ridden,” you say and then you sniff the obsidian and then the air. Taking a moment to shift the wind towards you from different directions at a time until you find a trail.  
You follow it and Selina follows you. 

The two of you have to go up and over difficult terrain, Selina often portaling you both to safer ground. You continue to walk and suddenly stop when you feel the ground shake beneath you.  
Selina grabs your arm to steady you, “It’s not an earthquake.”  
And she’s right you can feel the massive amount of energy beneath you, but it’s restricted to this one spot.  
“Step back,” Selina says.  
You step behind Selina and she outstretches her hands down towards the ground. Now there’s an actual rumbling of earth as the dirt shakes loose and it launches itself away from the half-elf in a large spray. When the ground settles, you peek around Selina and down into the large crater she has dug. About fifteen feet down at the bottom of it rests a small, black lockbox.  
Selina then looks to you, and handing her the flashlight, you step forward off the edge and wind swirls around you as you alight gently at the bottom. Selina shines the light down for you directly at the box. When the light hits it the box gleams and you can see it’s made of obsidian. You step over to it and gingerly grab the handles on either side and lift it up.  
You’re instantly hit with a massive surge of magical energy.  
And suddenly you’re not standing in a freshly dug pit anymore.  
You squint your eyes at the unexpected bright light from the afternoon sun, and take a moment for your eyes to adjust and then look around. You’re standing in the middle of a lush, green field that comes to your waist, filled with wildflowers, you can also hear lots of birds singing from the nearby trees.  
You have no idea where you are.  
There are loud thuds that can be heard coming from the forest, and you turn to look.  
Is it a giant? Maybe they could tell you where you are.  
You see a large, horned head lift itself above the trees and then the dragon steps out into the meadow.  
Oh. You don’t speak Draconic.  
The emerald, green head with yellow eyes turns in your direction, but strangely the dragon doesn’t seem to see you. Perhaps you’re just too small?  
The dragon says something you don’t understand and stares off at a mountain in the distance, and you note that the voice sounds feminine. Then she stretches her wings, takes a running start and then leaps into the air, soaring off in the direction of the mountain…and then you hear Selina shouting your name.

“Aunt Selina?! What’s Wrong?! What’s going on?!” you call out to her.  
It’s hard for you to see, your eyes still haven’t adjusted back and you look up and see the light still shining down from the flashlight.  
“What do you mean what’s wrong?! Are You Alright?!” she shouts back clearly worried.  
“I’m fine, I was only gone for a minute,” you reply.  
There’s a pause.  
“Little One, you didn’t go anywhere,” she says.  
Your eyes widen, “What do you mean?”  
“You picked up the box and just stood there for a few seconds, I called out to you, but you couldn’t seem to hear me. I was about to come down there and wrench that DAMN box out of your hands,” Selina explains.  
You stare down at the lockbox in your hands and notice for the first time that it’s covered in carvings on all sides. Carvings depicting multiple scenes, one has two dragons locked in combat, another has a man and a dragon with the man holding something up to the dragon. It’s then that you recognize one of the dragons, as the green one you just saw.  
Surely, the amulet is playing some sort of trick on you.  
The most unnerving part though is it seems to have grown silent in your grasp.  
Like the calm before a storm…you will the air around you to lift you up and out of the pit. Selina urges you to put it in your backpack and you do and zip it closed. You put it on and despite the fact it’s still there, you do feel a little better not directly touching it. The two of you make the trek back to the car and Selina asks you about what happened and you explain what you saw. The half-elf seems to grow more worried, but she also doesn’t want to scare you with her interpretation. 

You finally spot the car in the distance and Selina tells you to put it in the trunk, she wants it as far away as possible in case it acts up. As you’re walking Selina cranes her head, ears pointed upwards, and suddenly she spins around and shouts, “{ARCANE ARTILLERY!}” And then throws her right arm towards the sky, then her left, and then her right again, unleashing the max thirty bolts. The arcane energy arcs skyward crossing over each other and then collides with a large, dark winged shape. There’s a thunderous, angry roar and the shape swoops overhead past you.  
“WHAT WAS THAT?!” you shout.  
“JUST RUN!” Selina yells and the two of you begin sprinting for the car.  
Selina looks up and grabs a hold of the back of your head and pushes you down, “Get down!” she exclaims. And then there’s a swath of blue flame that covers the path in front of you, glancing up you see your car wreathed in flames before a large, clawed limb snatches it into the air. Then you hear, more than see the large creature take off into the distance, the wings beating against the air.  
Breathing heavily you turn to Selina, “What now?”  
She looks to you, “We’ll have to portal out of here.”  
Selina stretches out a hand and mutters, “{Safe Passage.}”A circular portal begins to open up in front of you, “{Negate Magic!}” a voice shouts suddenly.  
The spell fizzles out and the portal disappears.  
You both turn to the sound of the voice and see a silver-haired, elven man wearing an arsenic green suit with black, velvet filigree striding towards you. You had dropped your flashlight a ways back, but the glow from the fire behind you more than illuminates the area.  
“{Ah, Dearest Selina,}” he croons in Övüsi as he continues his approach, “{It’s so good to see you again.}” There’s an unsettling glint in his silver eyes from the firelight as they shift towards you, “{And I can see you brought your ‘apprentice’ as well. Perfect, now I can kill you both,}”  
Selina protectively puts an arm out in front of you, “You’ll not touch her!”  
He chuckles in response.  
His eyes shift again and you realize that they’re focused on your backpack, and you know he can sense the amulet’s power as well, “The Amulet of the Dragon, it’s been so long,” he whispers.  
“{Arcane Artillery,}” he speaks abruptly and throws a hand outwards.  
“{Impenetrable Bulwark,}” Selina counters and a golden wall of energy forms in front of you both. The arcane energy collides with it and explodes against the shield and you see a bit of sweat form on Selina’s brow.  
“{Earthen Manacles,}” a voice whispers behind you.  
You feel the dirt beneath you reach up your legs and as you begin to react, in one swift move the elf grabs your backpack, pulls it open and removes the lockbox. At the last second you reach out in a desperate attempt to stop him and manage to grab a handle, and try to pull it back. A look of amusement crosses his features and with one hand he wrenches it from your grasp. He flicks upwards at the dirt and the earth wraps itself around your wrists and pulls you down.  
“{Negate Ma-}” you begin.  
“{Stolen Sound,}” he whispers.  
You attempt to finish your spell, but no sound comes out.  
Your hands are completely covered now and flush with the ground as you try in vain to pull yourself free, “{Arcane Artillery!}” Selina shouts and throws her own volley at the elf, forcing him to put up his own shield. The earth continues up your arms and starts to creep around your face in an attempt to smother you, and you let out a silent scream and thunder roars overhead.  
“{Negate Magic,}” Selina says and the dirt falls off of you and she helps pull you free. You scramble back in a panic and quickly smack off the remaining dirt.  
The elf recovers and looking at the lockbox in his hands, smiles and then shouts something into the sky. Selina looks upward and you follow her gaze, and you can barely make out a dark shape coasting down out of the clouds.  
And your eyes widen when you realize for the first time that it’s a dragon.  
The dragon’s wings tuck themselves closed at the last second and the legs reach out for a landing. The ground shakes and you’re both knocked off your feet. You start to pick yourself back up, spitting the dirt out of your mouth. You hear the heavy footsteps of the dragon getting closer.  
“GET UP!! GET UP!!” Selina shouts and grabs your upper left arm and pulls you to your feet.  
“We have to move NOW!” she screams.  
She pulls you along as the two of you sprint away from the creature. You hear the beginning of an inhale and instinctively spin around and put a hand up.  
“For I grow quite alarmed, I do not wish US to be harmed!” you shout.  
A translucent blue dome of magic energy flares to life around the two of you. And a half second later blue fire collides against it. The light from the fire is so bright you screw your eyes shut, but you can still see it even through your closed lids. You lower your head and bring your other hand up to aid you. Your now trembling arms are bent in front of your head as you attempt to maintain the spell against the dragon’s onslaught. You feel the pressure against the shield cease and raise your right arm and open your eyes to look up.  
But your night vision is shot and you don’t see the dragon’s claws bearing down on you until it collides with the shield. His talons rip through it, and you step back and feel a searing pain in your right side. You cry out and collapse to the ground.  
“{There’s nowhere to run,}” the silver-haired elf says in Övüsi.  
“{I beg to differ,}” the elder, half-elven woman responds in Övüsi. You painfully manage to sit up on your knees and Selina steps in front of you. You look at the perimeter of where your protection spell had been and then beyond it. The ground at least fifty feet to either side of you is smoldering rock and glass. You feel a pain in your legs and look down to notice that the dirt beneath you is starting to heat up. You attempt to stand and Selina reaches an arm out and grabbing your left wrist hoists you up. You hear a low, deep chuckle and looking up, realize in horror that it’s coming from the dragon. His burning, orange eyes are fixed on you and you see his nostrils flare. Then the dragon bares his fangs in a twisted smile. You just stare back, frozen in fear as your entire body trembles.  
“Well? What are you waiting for?” the elf asks.  
“Kill them.”  
The dragon breaks eye contact with you to look to the left at the sound of the voice.  
Then slowly turns his head back to you.  
At the movement Selina turns around and outstretches her hand and mutters the Ancient Övüsi words for “Safe Passage.” You feel a rush of cold air as a circular portal opens up behind you. The dragon starts to inhale again and as he opens his mouth, you can see the blue and white flames creep up from the back of his throat.  
Paralyzed with fear you do nothing.  
The half-elf quickly throws up her right hand, “{Impenetrable Bulwark!}”  
And a golden wall erects itself in front of the two of you. The torrent of flame collides with the shield. Selina looks back to you, her gray hair sticking to her face and fixes you with her pale eyes, “GO!!”  
When you don’t move she grabs you by the arm, her nails digging into your skin and tosses you through the portal. You hit the ground and roll for a few feet. You push yourself up on your elbows and look back at her through the portal.  
“Selina!!!” you shout.  
She looks back at you, tears streaming down her face and then the fire engulfs her.  
And the portal immediately swirls inward on itself and vanishes.  
“NOOOO!!!” you scream.  
“SELINA!!” you wail, tears streaming down your face.  
You stare at the empty space through your bleary vision, hoping that this is just a bad dream, that she somehow made it out.  
But after a few moments it’s clear that she’s gone.  
You look around at the currently empty parking lot, this place was your’s and Selina’s  
usual meeting spot during the week, you often come here to practice spells and to discuss magic. In fact you had been here recently before all this to discuss anti-venom recipes. When you try to stand the growing pain in your side prevents you and you press your right hand to your side and try to crawl forward instead. It’s slow going, but you make it to a nearby stairwell, and placing your blood-soaked hand on the floor, you crawl inside the doorway. 

Leaning against the concrete wall next to the doorway, you try to catch your breath. You feel something on your back and notice you’re still wearing your backpack. The right strap is torn clean through, so it’s easier to slide it off to your left, you drop it on the floor and then look at your side. Your brows furrow in confusion, as you see ice forming over the entirety of it, and as you attempt to focus on it to get it to stop your vision goes dark.

When you wake up you look out past the railing for the stairs and see that it’s morning. Or is it the afternoon?  
It’s still overcast so you’re having a hard time telling the difference.  
You lean forward and are met with a sudden burst of pain in your side.  
Your mouth opens in a wordless cry and thunder rumbles loudly overhead.  
You’re trying to catch your breath, but it hurts to breathe, slowly you recover and manage a few small breaths. Glancing up, you notice that it’s now pouring rain and then you manage a glance at your side and find that the ice is gone, but you’re still bleeding. Pressing your right hand to your side, you reach out with your left and pull your backpack closer to you. You go through the already open pouch and fumble around for your phone, you start to dial 911 but stop…and look out at the rain. 

You can’t go to a regular hospital, what if someone got hurt?  
They’re not prepared to deal with magic users.  
But you need help.  
Wait, maybe there IS someone who you could call. Someone who’s not only prepared for everything you might unknowingly throw at them, but would be more than happy to find you. So you switch to look at your contacts and begin to search for the phone number.

You wipe your eyes with a tissue and take a deep breath.  
“And you know the rest, which is good, because I still don’t remember it,” you say.  
Kandomere has his fingers steepled while he swivels slightly, processing your words. The morning light shines through the window behind him and you look over to Montehugh sitting in the chair beside you.  
Montehugh inhales, “So your Aunt didn’t say anything else?”  
“No, I’m afraid that’s the extent of my knowledge. Although there might be something in that book in her apartment,” you offer.  
“To clarify,” Kandomere finally speaks and you turn your attention back to him.  
“You and your Aunt did not wish to use the amulet, Correct? That is what YOU said?” he questions. “Well, yeah and we were going to turn it in to the MTF after we got it away from the elf,” you reiterate.  
Kandomere tilts his head back, “What you’re telling me is you attempted to prevent a weapon of magic from falling into the hands of an individual, who is now not only a known murderer, but a known terrorist as well and wanted for his crimes?”  
You knit your brows together, “Yeah, I…that’s what happened.”  
Kandomere’s eyes shift to Montehugh and the two exchange a glance.  
“Did you hear that, Agent Montehugh?” Kandomere asks.  
“I sure did, Boss,” Montehugh replies.  
Kandomere’s attention shifts back to you, “Then there are to be no charges filed against you. And you’re free to go, Ms.”  
You stare at him open-mouthed and eyes wide, he’s letting you go?

“But if you want you could always stick around and work for us. We could use somebody like you,” Montehugh says.  
You look at Montehugh in surprise.  
Work for the MTF? You had never considered it before, for obvious reasons.  
“NO,” Kandomere says sternly.  
You both turn to him, “What? Boss-“ Montehugh begins.  
“I said no,” Kandomere interjects.  
The elf glares at Montehugh and then turns to you and his face softens, “I’m sure Hernández and McTavish are still here and will be willing to take you home.”  
You smile at him and nod and then standing up you start to move towards the door, “Wait, I almost forgot! Be careful when you enter Selina’s apartment,” you say turning back around.  
“Why?” Montehugh asks confused.  
“Selina...” you close your eyes, “Put a really powerful ward on her place.”  
“How powerful?” Kandomere asks blinking a few times.  
“It’s a Sentinel Ward,” you state.  
“A Sentin- Damn, your Aunt really doesn’t fuck around with magic does she?” Montehugh remarks.  
“No,” you say softly, “But I have a key, I could OPEN it for you and then…dispell the ward.” Kandomere is silent for a moment, “We’ll keep that in mind, Thank you for the warning.”  
“Also...I’m sorry,” you say.  
“For what?” the elf asks seemingly confused.  
“For…” and you gesture to your eyes with your index finger.  
His eyebrows raise slightly and he puts a hand up, “You needn’t…all is forgiven.”  
And with that you make your way to the door and open it.

*******

The door closes and he hears the woman walk down the hall. Montehugh turns to look at him, “Boss, I don’t get it, she’d be a huge help to the team. I mean she’s pretty fucking good at this shit. Sure there’s a couple things she could probably work on-“  
“My answer is still no,” Kandomere says harshly.  
The man grumbles and shakes his head, “I think it’s a mistake not hiring her on.”  
The elf stands abruptly and head still turned towards Montehugh, he walks over to the large filing cabinets to his right. He then takes a key out of his pocket and unlocks one of them and starts flicking through the case files. His partner stands up and moves to stand next to him. Finding the one he wants, Kandomere pulls it out. The elf turns his head towards the man.  
“You seem to be convinced she belongs here, yet you forget that she is still a civilian, with no training,” Kandomere says. “Or perhaps you need a reminder of what HAPPENS to people in our line of work,” he says and thrusts the file at him.  
Montehugh stares at him eyebrows creased and his eyes slowly drift down towards the file and he takes it. He opens it and glances at it and then back up at the elf, “This is one of the Inferni files.”  
The elf nods, “From twenty years ago, I made the mistake then of letting a human Bright assist me on the hunt for them.” Montehugh starts to look through the various photos, and paperwork filling it to the brim.  
“He decided to go off on his own, to fight magic with magic, and Leilah cut him to PIECES,” the elf hisses. Montehugh swallows and grimaces when he reaches the extensive coroner report. The elf leans in towards him, “You don’t really want THIS happening to HER do you?”  
The man looks up at him in horror.  
Kandomere knows what he’s doing isn’t fair.  
But he also knows that Montehugh has grown fond of her as well. It’s better for everyone if she stays away from this, if she stays safe. Montehugh closes his eyes briefly, then wets his lips and pushes the papers back into the folder and hands it back to the elf. Wordlessly, Kandomere takes it from him and places it back in the cabinet.  
“Is this why you’ve been so protective of her?” Montehugh demands.  
The elf pauses.  
“We found her half dead and, because you feel guilty over some shit that happened twenty years ago, you couldn’t let her out of your sight for too long?” Montehugh questions angrily. The elf turns his head slightly towards him and he blinks rapidly, and then he closes and locks the filing cabinet once more. Montehugh’s reaction is an emotional one in response to his words, he’ll calm down soon enough and realize that this is how it has to be. “I don’t know if you noticed, but she saved our asses, TWICE!” he yells holding up two fingers. The elf rounds his desk and turns towards the man, “And like you said ‘We could’ve died’ had she failed in her spell,” the elf says calmly.  
“And like YOU said ‘But we’re not dead,’” Montehugh counters.  
The elf sighs.  
He’s let this go on long enough and it’s time to put a stop to it.  
“It does not change the fact that she currently does not possess the mental fortitude to handle this job, therefore she is an ill fit. Now, go home, Ulysses, I’m sure your wife is worried sick,” Kandomere says. Montehugh glances to the side and then back at the elf, “This isn’t over, we still need her to open that apartment,” Montehugh reminds him. “So as much a you’re trying to push her to the wayside you still need her,” Montehugh says turning to walk towards the door. His partner exits the room and he hears his footsteps move down the hall.  
“I know I do,” Kandomere says quietly.  
The elf sighs again and runs his fingers through his hair, and then he starts to gather up his things. When he begins to pull the blinds closed, he catches a glimpse of three figures moving out into the parking lot.  
He smiles when he notices it’s his Bright and agents Hernández and McTavish.  
From this height he can’t hear what they’re saying, but he sees Hernández making large motions with her arms and the other two laughing.  
Kandomere smiles wider.  
It’s good that she appears to have made a couple of friends, he watches as they all climb into a black SUV and then he closes the blinds finally.  
After this is over with…he’s actually going to miss having her around.  
He inhales and looks around his office, he can still smell her lingering scent, and he remembers the feel of the soft, delicate skin of her hands and cheek. He shakes himself out of it and clicks off the desk lamp, he needs to go home himself and get some much needed sleep.


	7. The L.A. Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Violence, Blood, Death
> 
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}

You wake up early on Monday morning and shower and then fix yourself some breakfast. You had slept almost the entire day yesterday, having been utterly exhausted from all the magic and running around you did. Kandomere had texted you and asked if you would be alright with heading to Selina’s apartment today, to which you had agreed. You figured it was better to do this sooner rather than later, besides they only wanted you to open the door for them. Still it feels strange heading back to your Aunt’s apartment after…well everything.

You head to your room after eating and search through your closet for something to wear, and you come across a lavender, three-fourths sleeved, translucent top, adorned with silver unicorns and flowers. You smile, you remember when you had pointed out this top at a store in the elven district and had commented on how very on brand it was for Selina. She had loved it so much that she had insisted on buying you a matching one. You take it out of the closet and lay it out on the bed, then you look back in your closet and find a black, circle skirt and place it on the bed as well. Then you walk over to your dresser and grab a pair of tights with black, velvet dots and a light purple cami and put them on. Next you put on the skirt and top, and tuck the shirt into your skirt and begin to look for a pair of shoes. You find a pair of warm-grey, t-strap flats and slip them on. And finally you head to the bathroom, and letting your hair down, you comb through it. You pull the top part together into a French braid and pin it back with a black bow, letting the rest of your hair fall around your shoulders. Then you do your makeup and when you finally apply your lipstick, you use a bright, red, matte one. Finally, you put your phone, keys, wallet, and lipstick, and anything else you might need into your purse and sit in the living room and watch tv, until you hear a knock on the door. You check the peephole first and then open the door and step out to join the two agents in the hallway.  
Kandomere’s eyes widen slightly as they trail over you, “You look lovely.”  
“Thank you,” you say in a small voice.  
He fixes you with a look of concern, and you turn from him to lock the door.  
“You ready?” Montehugh asks.  
“Yes,” you reply.  
The three of you walk down the hall and take the elevator, and when you follow them towards the street you can see a new, black car with four doors, and stop a few feet away to stare at it.  
Montehugh walks to the driver’s side and opens the door, “Had to get a new one, after the old one got wrecked. This one’s got more leg room,” he states.  
“And an actual backseat,” Kandomere remarks opening the car door for you.  
You smile at them both and then climb into the car, the elf shuts your door for you and then walks around the car and climbs into the passenger’s seat. You’re seated behind Montehugh so you can stare directly at the elf.  
He notices and offers you a small smile.  
You return the smile and glance down, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. 

The three of you begin heading in the direction of the elven district once again. You’ve no trouble getting through the gates, and Montehugh turns off from the main shopping street towards the residential area. You had already given them the address, but you do help direct Montehugh to the apartment. He parks in the building’s parking garage and you all walk around to the entrance and Montehugh approaches the young, elven woman behind the front desk. Both Montehugh and Kandomere show their credentials and explain that they need to search a now deceased tenants apartment. She makes a call for the building manager, but it’ll be a while before he can get here, so the agents decide to begin their search anyways. 

The three of you then head to the elevator and you push the button for Selina’s floor.  
You all step out when the doors open and then you lead them down the hall to Selina’s door. As you near the door, you feel the ward react with an angry buzzing like a swarm of bees, and then you glance behind you at the two agents.  
Holding a hand out to them, “If you could step back, Please.”  
They then step back to the opposite side of the hall and you can feel the ward calm itself. Taking your keys out of your purse, you find Selina’s key, put it into the lock and turn it until it clicks and then open the door. You step inside and glancing to your right, you spot the antique cabinet filled with porcelain and glass unicorns and find the one that is laying down with it’s head turned to look behind it.  
You pick up the white, and lavender unicorn with silver accents and stare at it.  
There’s that familiar warmth in your chest as the magic recognizes and welcomes you…and you take a moment to memorize the details of it, and then you throw it on the hardwood floor and shatter it.  
Your eyes get watery as you feel the last of Selina’s magic fade from this world. 

You start to wipe at your eyes with the back of your hand and suddenly Kandomere is by your side. He tentatively places his hands on your shoulders, and you glance up at him and then dip your head, “I’ll be fine,” you whisper softly.  
He squeezes gently and then lets go when you pull away from him.  
You begin to walk back towards the door, but Montehugh enters effectively blocking your path, and you stare up at him confused.  
“You’d better stick with us, I don’t need to tell you how Unfriendly elves can be,” Montehugh says. You nod in understanding and turn back towards Kandomere who waves a hand forward, “After you.”  
You step past him and his head turns to follow you.  
Walking into the living room, you take a deep breath and then go through the doorway leading to the dining room. You flick on the light and stare silently at the empty table with the glittering, crystal chandelier above it. Then you continue forwards to the hallway beyond it and wait for the agents to catch up with you. They both give a cursory glance over the dining room and Montehugh peeks through the circular windows of the two doors leading to the kitchen, nods and then joins you.  
“The first door on the right is the guestroom or my room, the second one is the study, and the door on the left is the laundry room. Aunt Selina’s door is at the end of the hallway,” you explain.  
Kandomere moves past you and heads for the study first, he takes something white out of his pocket, places it on the doorknob and opens it.  
You follow him, and Montehugh steps into the room behind you. Kandomere is busy examining the different bookshelves and you keep your distance from him.  
“Anything of note in here? Any spellbooks, magic items?” Montehugh questions.  
“No, magic items, but there are plenty of books,” you say.  
You point out to him the dozen or so books about the room, but he doesn’t remove them, instead he just takes photos of them with his phone. Glancing over at Kandomere you can see he’s staring at the large oil painting hanging between two bookcases on the right wall. You step over quietly to him and he turns his head towards you when he hears you approach. “Selina’s father,” you explain, and you too stare at the 19th century portrait of a man in a maroon suit with brown, graying hair, and warm, brown eyes. You glance briefly at the glass case beneath it filled with a variety of old things once belonging to Jean such as: a smoking pipe, an old musket with the bayonet detached, and an assortment of other small trinkets.  
“Shall we move on?” Kandomere asks.

You nod and step out of the study and down the hall to Selina’s room. The agents follow you and you open the door and turn on the light. As you step in slowly there’s this burning behind your eyes…and perhaps you made a sound or some other indication of your distress, because you feel a hand lightly touch your back.  
And you know without turning around that it’s Kandomere.  
He extends a tissue out in front of you and you take it and begin to wipe at the steady flow of tears. Turning around, you then see Montehugh pull a pack of tissues out of his own pocket and he begins handing you some. Wiping at your eyes with the tissues, you then ball them up in your fist and gesture over to the bed, “The book was under that side,” you say.  
Montehugh nods and steps towards it and pulling out a pair of gloves from his jacket pocket, puts them on and pulls back the covers and lifts up the mattress.  
“It’s not here,” Montehugh states.  
“What?” you ask confused.  
You walk around behind him and stare at the empty space where the book once was.  
“Are you sure it’s not invisible?” you ask.  
He looks at you and then pats down the area with his hand, “Nope, not here.”  
“I…I swear it was here,” you turn to look to the elf, “I wasn’t lying when I said-“  
Kandomere places a hand on your shoulder, “I know. Your Aunt probably moved it after you found it the first time, if it’s here we’ll find it,” he says calmly.  
Montehugh lowers the mattress and pulls the covers back, “I’ll start with this bookshelf right here.”  
“And I’ll check the drawers,” Kandomere mutters.  
Kandomere nods and he pulls out a pair of his own gloves and begins checking the drawers of the bedside tables. You blow your nose and then shift a little uncomfortably at their business like manner in sifting through your Aunt’s things. Kandomere definitely notices your discomfort and tries to mitigate the awkwardness of the situation, “Perhaps…If you wouldn’t mind in assisting us?”  
You step forward and over to Montehugh and help him look through the bookshelf. The book’s not on this bookshelf or the other one and a cursory examination of the drawers has yielded nothing either. Kandomere begins to move to the closet next while you follow Montehugh over to the dresser. There’s a myriad of perfume bottles, moisturizers, makeup and makeup brushes, and more unicorn figures and a glass candy dish filled with chocolates, and a white, wooden brush. All of which are laid atop white lace that covers the top of the dresser. Montehugh visibly stiffens and thanks to the mirror on the dresser you can see his eyes are fixed on something.  
“Did you find it?” you ask and follow his gaze.  
You look and he seems to be staring at the…brush?  
“Um…Boss? I think we have a problem,” Montehugh says.  
The elf stops after opening the closet door and steps over to the two of you and quickly spots the brush as well.  
A crease forms in his brow and he sighs.  
“What? What’s wrong?” you ask clearly out of the loop.  
“It’s unicorn hair,” Kandomere says.  
“Yeah, and?” you ask.  
“Do you happen to know who owned it before your Aunt?” Montehugh questions.  
“No one owned it before, Selina,” you say shaking your head.  
They both stare at you.  
“The unicorn gave her a lock of her hair,” you explain.  
They both exchange a glance.  
Montehugh sighs heavily and throws up a hand, “So are we already fucked for coming in here?”  
The elf tilts his head, “Possibly.”  
You furrow your brows, “But I let you in here? It’s not like you’re trying to steal it.”  
“I’m afraid the unicorn might not see it that way,” Kandomere says.  
“I doubt the Lady of the Wood would hate you for trying to gather evidence, I mean I don’t,” you say.  
Both of the agents instinctively look to the brush…but it does nothing.  
Kandomere turns back to you, “You shouldn’t speak her-“  
“It’s not her full name,” you interject.  
You stare at the silver-haired brush, “Like I said I doubt she would object, she was Selina’s friend afterall.”  
“Wait, she was Friends with a Unicorn?” Montehugh asks incredulously.  
“She was,” you reply.  
“How did that happen?” Montehugh asks.  
“Selina met her in a forest in France, her home country…”

Selina ran through the forest, her white dress with purple flowers snagging on tree branches as she tries hopelessly to outrun her pursuers.  
“We’re going to catch you!” an elven girl’s voice rings out.  
She glances behind her and her foot gets caught in a tree root and she tumbles forward. She tries to stand back up, but whimpers at the pain in her ankle, and she reaches out and touches it.  
It’s broken.  
Now she’ll never outrun them.  
“Oh Selina!” the voice calls out again.  
She looks up and sees a dark-haired elven girl staring at her, “NO PLEASE!! Please, don’t hurt me!” Selina cries out.  
The elven girl grumbles, “Where is she?!”  
Selina tilts her head in confusion.  
Then the elven girl looks around the clearing Selina’s in and starts to walk away. By this point the other three elven girls have caught up, “Did you find her?” one asks.  
“No,” is the response.  
“Now, I can’t even smell her!” a blue-haired elven girl yells and angrily throws a fistful of rocks at a tree.  
Selina lets out a whimper and then clamps her hands over her mouth.  
“Let’s Go! She couldn’t have gone far!” a blonde-haired girl shouts and then they start to move away. Selina watches them leave and then reaches down to touch her ankle. She winces in pain and that’s when she notices a shadow on the ground of something standing over her. She gazes upwards and is met with a snow white, equine face with a single horn protruding from it, staring down at her. Selina gasps and quickly scrambles forward and then presses her back to a tree and stares at the creature in front of her. The face is mostly equine, while the long legs that end in split hooves are mostly cervine, and the almost foot and a half long horn is a beautiful, iridescent, pearl. Selina continues to stare in shock and horror at the unicorn standing before her. The unicorn tilts her head slightly and then steps forwards.  
“Please, don’t hurt me, I didn’t mean to trespass in your forest,” Selina says.  
The unicorn continues forward and dips her head down so that the horn is now pointed directly at her.  
Selina puts her arms up and looks away.  
And then she feels the unicorn’s horn tap lightly against her ankle and a surge of warmth. She lowers her arms and can see a faint, white glow from the unicorn’s horn where it’s touching her ankle as the unicorn’s eyes cast a similar glow. Then the glow fades and the unicorn’s eyes return to their previous gray color. The unicorn slowly lifts her head again and Selina reaches down to touch her ankle and then rolls her foot slightly. It’s healed.  
Selina then reaches up to touch her forehead and the cut where the rock had hit her earlier is also gone.  
“Do not be afraid, Little One,” the unicorn’s musical voice says softly, “I will not harm you.”  
“You…you won’t?” Selina asks unsure.  
The unicorn gives a gentle shake of her head; opalescent, silvery strands of her mane falling softly around her head. Selina carefully picks herself back up off the ground eyes fixed on the unicorn.  
“Why?” Selina asks quietly.  
The unicorn tilts her head slightly again, “Why what, Little One?”  
“Why would you help me? Wouldn’t you rather help them?” Selina asks gesturing to where the elven girls had run off to. The unicorn’s head turns gently in the direction Selina had indicated and her ears flick back, then she turns her attention back to Selina and her ears point forward again.  
“Why would I help those Dreadful children? Do you truly think yourself Unworthy of my help?” the unicorn asks.  
Selina glances down, “Yes.”  
She hears the unicorn step forward and startled, she steps backwards hastily.  
The unicorn fixes her with a look of concern.  
“Everyone hates me,” Selina mutters.  
“Not everyone, your father loves you, he loves you so much,” the unicorn says.  
“They tell me I was a mistake! That I should have never been born!” Selina exclaims and wipes at her eyes furiously with her palm.  
“And you believe them?” the unicorn asks.  
Selina looks up at her and nods trying to hold back her tears.  
“You believe the people who have no kindness in their hearts, the people who care not for anyone, but themselves, the people who not only do not understand anything or anyone different from them, but CHOOSE not to?” the unicorn questions.  
Selina’s eyes dart to the side and then back to the unicorn.  
“Those people?” the unicorn asks again.  
Selina is silent.  
“And what of the people in your life who do care for you? What of the nursemaid who watches over you? Or the horsemaster who taught you to ride? Or the cook who allows you to sneak far too many sweets from his kitchen?” the unicorn continues.  
Selina smiles a little.  
“How about your father’s best spy? Who tells you stories of the far away lands he visits? Do you believe any of those people? When they tell you how wonderful you are, how important you are to them, how kind you are?” the unicorn asks.  
Tears are now streaming down Selina’s face.  
“They love you, Selina, for WHO and WHAT you are. Do not listen to any different,” she says.  
Selina wipes the tears from her eyes, “So you don’t care that I’m only Half Elf?”  
“Little One, you are not just half Elf, you are also half Human. Do not forget the importance of that, you belong to both, and because of that you get the unique experience of understanding BOTH. And do I care? I am not like the many races that inhabit this world, I am not burdened by what you are or what you are not. My only concern is who you are,” the unicorn continues. “And who you are is a kind-hearted, and strong little girl who gets into her fair share of mischief,” she adds.  
The half-elf smiles, “Thank you, I…I never expected someone like you to say something like that I…thank you.”  
The unicorn dips her head slightly in acknowledgement.  
Then her horned head lifts up and stares past her as though she is watching something in the distance, Selina turns to look, but can neither see nor hear what it is that has caught the unicorn’s attention.  
“The children are gone, it is safe for you to return home to your father, Little One,” the unicorn says and she starts to turn away.  
“Wait!” Selina shouts.  
The unicorn stops and looks back at her.  
“Can…can I come back here?” Selina asks hesitantly.  
The unicorn lets out a soft, musical laugh, “Certainly, you are free to return to my forest any time you like, no one will harm you here. And perhaps, should you wish, I could teach you about magic.”  
Selina gasps, “You would really teach me magic?!”  
The unicorn nods, “I would.”  
“Thank you, again! For everything!” Selina calls after her as she backs away.  
“Of course, Little One,” the unicorn replies and walks off into the forest and mist surrounds her and she disappears…

“So the unicorn ALSO taught her MAGIC?” Montehugh questions.  
“Yeah, she did,” you respond.  
He throws up his hands, “Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that one, and here I thought I’d heard everything,” Montehugh continues.  
“Have you ever met this unicorn?” Kandomere questions.  
“Well…no,” you say.  
Montehugh sighs, “Hey, think of it this way if we’re already cursed might as well keep looking around.” As Montehugh begins to walk away, Kandomere looks over to him, “I did see a safe in the closet, it’s worth looking into.”  
You turn to the elf, “I still don’t think we’re cursed, I mean I would KNOW.”  
“How so? Have you ever been cursed before?” he asks moving to follow Montehugh.  
You open your mouth to say something and then close it again.  
You actually haven’t.  
You sigh and follow them both to the closet.

Kandomere flicks on the light and the three of you walk into the incredibly spacious closet. Because it’s the master bedroom’s closet it’s even bigger than the guestroom’s walk-in closet and has multiple light fixtures and three mirrors covering large closed cabinet doors and even a couple of small, swivel chairs. There are plenty of cabinets and drawers built in, where Selina stores her clothes, shoes and anything else she had that she couldn’t fit anywhere into the rest of her décor. But the agents’ attention is currently drawn to the standing safe bolted into the floor.  
Montehugh examines the digital keypad on it for a moment.  
“Hey, Princess, you wouldn’t happen to know the combination would ya?” Montehugh asks.  
“1877,” you answer immediately.  
They both look at you and then Kandomere nods to Montehugh.  
Montehugh types in the number and the safe clicks and he opens it.  
“Well, that was easy. Somethin’ special about that year?” Montehugh asks offhandly.  
“It was…the year Selina’s father died,” you say quietly.  
They both look back at you again.  
“Oh I see,” Montehugh mutters.  
You stare into the safe and spot the leather bound book sitting on the top shelf, “That’s it,” you say pointing to it. Kandomere reaches out and picks it up and flips through it carefully. His eyes move from the pages to you, and then back to the book, “You said you couldn’t read it?” he asks.  
You nod.  
“I’m not surprised, it’s written in Latin,” Kandomere says.  
“Latin?” you question.  
How the hell does the elf know Latin?  
His eyes continue to move across the pages, “It seems to be a ledger for orders concerning pottery and glass, even one for stained windows for a church…” he trails off. His brows furrow, “Except for this,” the elf states and he shows the book to you and Montehugh and it’s the same page you saw before with the picture of a dragon curled overtop and around a gemstone.  
“We’re going to want to take this with us,” he says to Montehugh.  
The man nods and pulls out a plastic evidence bag that was rolled up in his pocket and holds it open and the elf carefully deposits the book in the bag. 

The elf then begins to rummage through the other important documents and old letters that Selina kept in the safe. You move to sit in one of the white, swivel chairs and wait for them to finish their search as you use one of the tissues to wipe your nose, and try to prevent yourself from bursting into tears. They spend a few minutes examining everything and are starting to place things back where they were, when the elf pulls out a folder that had been tucked between two large books and opens it.  
Kandomere stares at the paper and then he stares at you and wets his lips.  
“I think you should take a look at this,” he says and he hands it to you.  
You stare blankly at the first piece of paper, there’s big, bold letters across the top of it…written in Övüsi. There are smaller letters filling the rest of the page, also Övüsi and you shuffle the papers in your hand to find the remaining pages to be much the same. The only parts you really recognize are Selina’s signature and your own name in English in a couple of places. The last page is actually a letter in Selina’s handwriting on her personal stationary, addressed to you.  
And unfortunately she also wrote this in elvish as well.  
You put the papers back in the order they were and glance back up at the elf who is studying you.  
You let out a sigh, “Kandomere, I…I can’t read it,” you admit.  
The elf’s eyebrows raise in surprise, “{But you can speak elvish fluently.}”  
“{I know, but I’ve always had trouble reading the elvish script, and because of that I was discouraged from learning it fully,}” you answer.  
Your shoulders slump a little as you glance to the side a little embarrassed to have to ask, “Could…could you read it for me?” and you extend the folder towards him.  
He slowly takes it from you and nods.  
He takes a moment to look over it, “There’s a lot of legal jargon in here, so I’ll spare you that and give you the abridged version instead.”  
“It’s a last will and testament,” he states.  
You stare at him in astonishment, “Her will? I…”  
“And…” he says shuffling through the papers, “It appears she’s…left everything to you.”  
Everything?  
You know she had no children, but you never imagined she would leave you everything. That she’d want you to have it. How long ago did she decide this?  
“There’s also a letter here…for you,” Kandomere continues.  
“What does it say?” you ask leaning forwards.  
“You are a Bright Light shining out against the Darkness,  
Let not your Light be dimmed or doused,  
Let not Fear consume your gentle Heart,  
And when your Heart soars above it,  
You will find that even The Darkest Shadow cannot catch you,” he reads.

Now you’re crying again and Kandomere hands you his blue and silver pocket square and you take it from him and wipe your eyes. The elf looks like he wants to step closer to you, but he remains where he is.  
“So, she left her everything?” Montehugh asks the elf.  
“Yes, it would seem so,” Kandomere replies.  
“Including the brush?” Montehugh questions.  
The elf’s eyes widen and he begins to examine the papers again. He quickly skims through them and then stops. “And one unicorn-haired brush with a white, wooden handle,” Kandomere says turning to the man.  
“You think it’s enough?” Montehugh asks.  
“Legally? Maybe not yet, but if she agrees…” the elf says and looks at you, “Then it should be.”  
“Do you think you’re up for it?” Montehugh asks turning to you.  
“Of course,” you sniffle, “I…I just…Give me a minute,” you sob.  
Kandomere removes one of his gloves and takes your hand in his and gives you a sympathetic look. “Hey, I’m gonna…Uh,” Montehugh says a little awkwardly, “Make sure there’s nothing else.”  
You nod and the elf kneels in front of you and smoothes his hand up and down your forearm. The warmth of his hand raising goosebumps on your skin.  
Montehugh begins opening and closing the various cabinets and drawers, they’re mostly filled with clothes and shoes, but there are a few things such as old paintings and photos she doesn’t keep on display.  
You look back to Kandomere and wipe your eyes, and he tilts his head a little at you.  
“There’s a sword in here,” Montehugh states after opening a cabinet.  
“Well, yeah it was Selina’s, she’s had it for a long time,” you sniffle.  
“And the armor?” Montehugh asks.  
“That too,” you respond.  
“Both of ‘em?” Montehugh questions.  
At this you lift your head and turn to stare at him as he’s pulled one set of scale mail on a hanger to the side, so you can see that there is indeed a second, nearly identical set.  
You knit your brows together in confusion, “I…I didn’t know she had…”  
Kandomere stands and walks over to Montehugh and with his gloved hand lifts one of the sets off the rack and examines it. The armor is beautifully crafted petal-shaped, steel scale over leather and padded gambeson. And as the elf turns it around you see the long-sleeve shirt is accompanied by a pair of pants clipped onto the back of the wooden hanger. Montehugh lifts up a sleeve and the metal flows like water, a metallic sheen spreading across it as it moves.  
“Dwarven make,” Montehugh notes.  
Kandomere stares at it and then stares at you, “Could you stand for a moment?”  
You wipe your eyes again and stand, “Yeah, why?”  
He steps over to you and holds it up in front of you, and there’s a slight hum…to it.  
You stare at the armor confused.  
“It appears to be a perfect fit,” Kandomere states and he looks to Montehugh.  
Glancing back down at the armor it is…too short to be Selina’s.  
“She had armor made for me?” you whisper.  
Kandomere hands it back to Montehugh who places it back where it was.  
“It would appear so,” Kandomere says.  
“I…I don’t…” you mutter and walk out of the closet.  
You don’t understand.  
Kandomere follows you while Montehugh takes out another plastic evidence bag and places the will in it and then he closes the safe. You walk over to Selina’s bed and sit on the edge of it and stare at the floor.  
The elf stops in front of you and you glance up at him.  
“I don’t know what to do…I…” you shake your head, “What else was she keeping from me?”  
Kandomere sighs, “Perhaps, she was trying to protect you.”  
You lower your gaze and shake your head sadly.  
“She clearly loved you,” Kandomere says.  
“But why would she hide so much from me?” you question.  
Kandomere exhales, “Take it from someone who has seen more than their fair share of darkness in the world,” you meet his eyes, “She wouldn’t want to wish that upon you.”  
You lower your head again.  
“I think that’s everything for now, Boss, we just gotta take care of that brush,” Montehugh says quietly to the elf. Kandomere walks over to the dresser and retrieves the brush with his gloved hand and then returns to you and hands it over. You take it with both of yours and place it on your lap.  
“Be specific,” Kandomere says.  
You glance up at him and nod.  
Focusing your attention on the brush, “Lady of the Wood, the Moonlight that Shines Through the Trees, this brush of yours was given to Selina, and then passed down to me. And now I am allowing the Magic Task Force to hold onto it for me, until such a time as they see fit to return it to me, however long that may be.”  
The bristles of the brush emit a soft, silver glow for a moment and then it fades slowly. And you feel a warmth in your chest and there’s a brief image of the unicorn as her head turns towards you in the evening light and then she dips her horned head and then the image is gone as well.  
There’s silence for a few moments.  
“Did it work?” Montehugh asks.  
“Yes, the unicorn heard me,” you say looking up at him.  
Kandomere holds out his gloved hand and you hand him the brush and he gingerly takes it from you and then walks back over to the dresser and sets it down.  
“We’re not taking it with us?” you ask disappointed.  
“HELL NO,” Montehugh says.  
The elf shoots him a look.  
“We don’t have the means to transport it safely, it could get damaged,” Kandomere explains. “We’ll have a team retrieve it later and do a more thorough investigation,” he continues.  
You nod and stand up and suddenly you remember something.  
Glancing over at the bookshelf near Selina’s bed, “Wait,” you say.  
“What? Don’t we got everything?” Montehugh asks.  
You walk over to the bookshelf by Selina’s bed and your eyes skim over the books until you spot the one your looking for and you reach up and pull it off the shelf. Then you turn your attention back to the two agents and step over to them, and Kandomere meets you halfway and eyes you curiously.  
You hand it to him, “Based on what Fayleth said the other day, I think I have an idea on the magic item you’re looking for,” you explain.  
The elf looks down at the book and then back to you and a slight crease forms in his brows as he waits for you to continue.  
“There’s a chapter in here on magic and cursed mirrors, maybe one of them is the one you’re looking for,” you offer.  
He nods slowly, “Thank you.”  
Then you start to make your way out of Selina’s room and apartment. You fold your arms across your chest as you walk ahead of them through the empty rooms and even open the front door and step out.

As you step out into the hall wiping your eyes with Kandomere’s pocket square you look up to see an elven man standing a few feet away.  
It’s the same purple-haired elf you saw before.  
You stare back at him uncertain of what to do, as he scowls.  
Unknowingly, you instinctively step backwards and the elf steps forwards.  
Suddenly Kandomere is standing in front of you and the other elf balks, Kandomere is facing away from you so you can’t see his face, but whatever expression he’s making has clearly startled the other elf. Montehugh steps out of the doorway and moves behind you and places a hand on your upper back.  
“Official Magic Task Force business,” Montehugh says pulling back the right side of his jacket to reveal his badge on his belt.  
“You don’t want any trouble do you?” Montehugh then asks with an underlying, warning tone, and you turn to see his gun is also on his right hip. The other elf’s eyes flick to Montehugh and then you and then back to Kandomere. The other elf then turns around and walks back down the hall and disappears from view.  
After a moment Kandomere’s shoulders relax and he turns to look at you with a neutral expression. 

You lock Selina’s door and the three of you head down the hallway and back to the elevators. In the time it had taken you all to search Selina’s apartment the building manager had showed up. Montehugh hands the evidence bags over to the elf and then Kandomere escorts you outside while Montehugh talks to the building manager.  
Kandomere’s hand is on your lower back and at this point he’s done this so many times, you don’t mind his touch.  
Besides, it’s actually a little comforting.  
You both walk to the parking garage and you do get a few stares from the elves you pass, but Kandomere’s icy stare keeps them from getting too curious. He opens your door for you and then climbs into the front passenger’s seat. You’ve stopped crying some time ago, but now you’ve got a headache and are just staring silently at the floor. You hear Kandomere shift in his seat and look up to see his left hand outstretched to you. Thinking that he wants his pocket square back, you attempt to hand it to him, and he just shakes his head gently.  
You transfer the pocket square to your left hand and reach out with your right.  
He takes your hand in his and squeezes gently and strokes your knuckles lightly with his thumb. You exhale slowly, eyes fixed on his hand and his purposeful movements, and then you meet his eyes.  
His eyes are calm and warm as he regards you, “How are you feeling?”  
You take a breath, “Like that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. To go back.”  
He nods slowly, “But you did.”  
The two of you fall silent once more and it’s not until Montehugh joins you that you finally let go of Kandomere’s hand.

You all start to make your way back to your apartment and you stuff the used tissues into your purse and close it and set it on the seat next to you. Kandomere reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a vibrating cellphone and answers it, “Yes?”  
“What do you mean?” Kandomere asks.  
There’s a pause as he listens to the voice on the other end.  
His eyes dart to you for a moment and then he turns his head away from you, “And where is this?” A loud thunderous sound suddenly cuts through the air shaking you to your core.  
“Dragon,” you whisper.  
You know full well the sound could belong to nothing else and the look on the elf’s face as he turns back to stare at you, only confirms your fears.  
“Alright, we’re on our way,” Kandomere says and he hangs up the phone and starts directing Montehugh. After driving down a few streets it’s not long before you turn a corner and you spot the large creature standing in a six-lane intersection, turning lanes included, with his teeth bared.  
But it’s not the one you were expecting.  
The MTF has agents already on the scene and Montehugh stops the car just behind them and him and Kandomere step out.  
“Stay in the car,” Kandomere orders.  
And then they both walk over to the agents gathered. You’re looking around at the interior of the car and remembering how easily the dragon destroyed yours and you start to feel a panic attack coming on and quickly open the door and climb out. The immediate fresh air fills your lungs and you’re able to calm yourself and then you turn to look down the street.

You stare up at the large, brown and yellow dragon as his tail lashes outwards and takes off the top of a nearby two-story building. An armored car with a gunner on top of it skirts around the dragon’s flank, as they fire rounds into the dragon. The dragon snarls in response and attempts to swipe at the APC with a clawed limb, but the vehicle moves rapidly out of the oncoming attack. There’s a row of buildings to your left near the intersection the dragon is sitting in the middle of that are currently ablaze, and staring at them for a moment you realize to your horror, that you recognize this area.  
This is where Banathar’s shop was.  
Was, because it’s now burning to the ground.  
You hope he made it out…somehow.  
The MTF agents standing in front of you have formed a makeshift barricade out of their vehicles and they too are staring up at the dragon wreaking havoc.  
Why aren’t they doing anything?  
A second armored car drives into view out from around the dragon’s feet firing up at his underside this time, and as the car drives out from under him, some of the bullets arc upward and hit his head.  
The dragon merely closes his eyes in minor annoyance.  
You look back down at the agents on foot carrying firearms that though formidable when facing people, are laughable when dealing with a creature this large. Kandomere and Montehugh have approached the leaders of the team and are now discussing what’s transpiring.  
“Sir, we thought it was a wyvern we didn’t think it was-“ a voice begins and is cut off by a loud snarl coming from the dragon as he once again swipes angrily at one of the APCs. The L.A.P.D. have also set up a barricade near the MTF’s and some of the officers are ushering people still in the street to safety. You notice there are bodies of several people lying in the street and next to the buildings, some burnt, others bloodied and laying at awkward angles.  
Most of them are humans and orcs, but a few brezzik are among them.

Your eyes drift up to the buildings, most of them are only one to two stories tall having been mostly small shops, though there are a couple of three story ones. The dragon however easily towers above them at a height of forty feet or more, you’re not entirely sure exactly how tall he is due to his ebony horns extending at least another fifteen feet beyond his skull. You glance back down and three people are still in the midst of the chaos having been too injured to make it out on their own and are hiding behind a car, and as you watch you see two police officers rush forward in a crouched run to aid them.  
One is a black, human man and the other is an orc man.  
You remember hearing about the orc police officer on the news, seeing as he’s the first orcish police officer, but the fear from seeing the dragon in front of you is preventing you from recalling his name. They duck behind the car as well and the human officer scoops up an orc woman over his shoulder, while the orc officer scoops up the orc and human man, and together they carry the people to safety.  
Or at least what can be considered safety at this point.  
Your attention shifts back to the dragon whose spines are raised up in an angry and threatening manner as his bent wings flare upwards. You notice the movement of his red eyes and recognize the predatory look in them as he follows the movement of one of the armored cars.  
“No, they need to get out of there he’s going to-“ you begin stepping forwards towards the elf. There’s an inhale swiftly followed by a bout of fire that completely consumes the vehicle and its occupants and its knocked backwards thirty feet in your direction.  
You let out a strangled sound and cover your mouth in horror.  
Kandomere turns to you and grabs you by the arm, “You need to get in the car,” he says sternly. You stare at him open-mouthed and then turn to look at the burning remnants of the armored car, “Are you sure the car is the safest place to be right now?!” you demand. He glances back at the scene unfolding in front of you both and you can see the confliction on his face.  
You realize then that it’s just because he wants to protect you.  
He lets go of your arm, “Just stay put, alright?”  
The elf turns back to Montehugh as they try to come up with a way to stop this, “The National Guard are the only ones that got somethin’ big enough to hit him with, but it’ll take weeks before we can get ‘em down here,” Montehugh says. You stare out at the dragon as he corners the last armored car with his claws, digging into the concrete on either side and the dragon’s head lunges forward with an open maw and the gunner bails out and jumps off the back of the vehicle. The dragon’s mouth clamps down around the vehicle and begins to hoist it into the air and the driver’s side door flings open as the driver bails out too and falls fifteen feet to the ground. The two start to sprint away and the dragon crushes the car in his jaws and then slams it down on the concrete repeatedly.  
Seemingly, not even caring that it’s now empty.  
That doesn’t make sense isn’t he attacking PEOPLE?  
Then you spot his red eyes again and it clicks suddenly that they’re the wrong color.  
From all the artwork spray-painted on buildings to the t-shirts they’ve put The L.A. Dragon on his eyes were always depicted as a light green.  
“I know what I have to do,” you say and as the elf turns, you run forwards past the MTF agents and towards the dragon. Kandomere moves to try and catch you but your action was faster than his reaction and you feel his fingers slip against your sleeve. 

The dragon turns from you continuing to smash the car into scrap metal and you run as fast as your legs can carry you about a hundred feet in his direction.  
“HEY!” you shout.  
The dragon drops the armored car from his mouth and it crashes to the ground, and he slowly turns his horned head to you.  
You stop dead in your tracks.  
“…Big guy,” you squeak.  
His pupils are slits and fixed solely on you.  
This was a bad idea.  
This was a FUCKING BAD IDEA.  
He raises his head and turns his entire body towards you now, but he’s still a couple hundred feet away, meaning you’re in range of his fire breath. The dragon lets out a low guttural growl as he bares his fangs at you, and even from this distance you can feel the sound of it reverberate through your chest.  
You’re frozen in place, terrified.  
Then the dragon takes a long inhale and opens his mouth, and you can see the beginning of white, hot flame rising up from the back of his throat.  
You’re vaguely aware that someone is shouting at you, but you don’t know who.  
All you can see and hear is the dragon.  
Staring into his blood red eyes, it takes all of your willpower to raise your arm, “There’s no need to…to…at..attack,” you whimper.  
To your surprise the dragon slowly closes his mouth.  
His wings and spines are still flared, so you begin again. “There’s no need to attack,” you manage forcing yourself to be a little louder this time. The dragon exhales through his nose and black smoke trails out of his nostrils, then he tilts his head slightly, you need to keep going.  
“Let me bring your senses back,” you say raising your arm higher and taking a couple of steps forward, the dragon takes a couple of steps forwards as well, and with his long strides is almost directly overtop of you.  
“The memory of who you are,” you say.  
The dragon’s eyes are still fixed on you, as he lowers his head to the ground.  
“That anger does wish to mar,” you say walking the remaining ten feet to the dragon’s head, “This life is not over,” you say reaching out to touch the dragon’s snout between his nostrils and they flare briefly. His scales are hot to the touch, but strangely not so hot that you burn yourself.  
“You may yet recover,” you say, staring directly into the dragon’s large eyes that now fill your vision, “So breathe deep,” you say and take a long inhale, the dragon inhales with you, then you exhale and the dragon exhales as well.  
“And find a peace you can keep,” you finish.  
You gasp as the red in the dragon’s eyes begins to seep out to the edges of his irises and a beautiful verdant, yellow-green sunbursts out from his corneas and fills his eyes once more. The dragon continues to stare at you unblinking as his pupils dilate.  
His eyes focus on you and you know it’s because he’s seeing you for the first time.  
He blinks.  
Quietly you move around the side of his face and his eye follows you, and you reach up towards his right eye and he tilts his head so that you can reach him. You move your hand over the smooth, rigid scales above his eye, and the dragon closes his eye.  
You close your own eyes for a moment.  
And you can hear the shift of muscle and scale as his wings furl back at his sides, then you open your eyes and remove your hand. The dragon’s eye opens and he lifts his head away and up from you. Angelo surveys his surroundings, his nostrils flare rapidly and you can hear his breathing quicken, as his head snakes around.  
“What? What happened?” he questions confused.  
You stare up at him, “You…you...”  
He looks down at you, “I did this?”  
You nod.  
His face falls, and he looks very visibly distraught.  
“I…I don’t remember,” he mutters.  
His entire body language has changed, despite his deep, thunderous voice, it’s clear that he’s speaking as softly as he can. And where he was tearing up the concrete before, his toes are splayed, as he attempts to spread out his weight. He still sinks into the concrete a bit, but he’s trying to do as little damage as possible. The dragon is also mindful of where his wings and tail are, avoiding anything that isn’t already severely damaged.  
“Angelo!” Kandomere calls out.  
The dragon’s head turns to the elf and you turn as well.  
Kandomere is now striding towards the two of you, and he gives you a brief look, before turning his full attention to the dragon.  
“What happened?” Kandomere asks, “This isn’t you.”  
“I…I don’t know, one minute I was protecting my territory and now I’m here,” Angelo says.  
“Protecting your territory from what exactly?” Kandomere questions, stretching an arm out towards you and motioning with his fingers for you to come towards him. All the while keeping his eyes fixed on the dragon.  
You do as he says and walk over to the elf.  
“I-AH!” Angelo exclaims and turns his head to look over his wing shoulders at his back, and as he turns you can see fresh bloody tears across his back.  
Kandomere takes the momentary distraction to grab hold of your arm when you’re within reach and pull you behind him. You stare at the large claw marks raked across Angelo’s back, “The other dragon,” you whisper.  
And Angelo’s head snaps back in your direction, his pupils slits once more, and you’re momentarily frightened that he’s reverted back somehow until, “You’ve seen him too?”  
You nod.  
“What color was this dragon?” Kandomere asks cautiously.  
“Grey, and black with blue scales on his underside,” Angelo answers.  
You grab Kandomere’s right shoulder and shoot him a worried look.  
He spares you a glance out of the corner of his eye, and then stares back at the dragon in front of you both. Angelo shakes his head, “Why can’t I remember what happened? We were fighting when…when everything suddenly went red.”  
Angelo picks up his head and his eyes wander over the destruction, “Did…did I kill anyone?”  
And then he looks to you again.  
Your eyes grow watery under his stare and you purse your lips, and then glance over at the lifeless bodies nearby, and he slowly follows your gaze.  
Tears form in his eyes and he inhales a shaky breath.  
You…you didn’t even know dragons could cry.  
But then his face hardens and the tears start to steam off his eyes, Kandomere fully wraps his arm around you behind him and tries to maneuver you away, “ANGELO,” he warns. The dragon steps over and past you both and then over the combined MTF and L.A.P.D. barricades with neither side being able to do anything to stop him from doing so.  
“ANGELO!” the elf yells.  
But the dragon takes a few more steps along the now empty street and leaps into the air, clearing his wings over the buildings and quickly soars into the sky.  
The resulting tremors shake the ground and set off every car alarm in the area.  
The elf looks around and then pulls you into his side.  
“What are you-“ you begin.  
“Get in the car,” he orders.  
He has his arm wrapped around your waist and pulls you along with him as he starts to walk back to the car. You’re confused by his behavior, until you start to pass by the police officers nearby, and realize they’re all staring at you. Ducking your head, you keep pace with the elf as he escorts you behind the MTF’s forces and ultimately back to the car. He opens the door and you climb into the backseat and then he shuts it and begins giving orders to the men.  
Meanwhile, you look down and notice your hands are shaking and wrap your arms around yourself in an effort to calm down.

*******

The three of you stride into Kandomere’s office, Montehugh sets the evidence bags on the coffee table and sits down on the couch and leans back heavily, placing his right arm overtop of the back of the couch. The elf continues to his desk and opens a drawer and pulls out a bottle of alcohol and a glass and pours himself some. Kandomere stares at you and then knocks it back and places the empty glass on his desk.  
Is he allowed to drink on the job?  
The elf looks to Montehugh, “Ulysses, if you would be so kind as to fetch Agents Hernández and McTavish?”  
Montehugh sighs and leans forward and stands up and then makes his way out of the room. You watch him leave and then turn your attention back to the elf.  
“What happens now?” you ask.  
“Now? I suspect the Governor will declare a state of emergency and there will be a very long discussion by people much higher up than me,” Kandomere says.  
“But isn’t the decision up to you?” you ask.  
He looks down and huffs and then stares back at you, “Why? Because I am an elf?” he asks raising an eyebrow at you.  
“No, I still have people I have to answer to,” Kandomere continues and he pours himself another glass. You stare at him as he lifts it up to his lips, “What…” you begin and he lowers the glass and meets your eyes.  
“What happens to me now?” you question.  
The elf blinks a couple of times and stares at you thoughtfully for a moment, and then he sets the glass down.  
People saw you use magic.  
A lot of people, outside the Magic Task Force.  
“You are still under my protection. That hasn’t changed,” he says simply.  
You wring your hands together nervously and he notices and steps towards you and offers his own. You take his hands in yours and take a deep breath.  
“You’re safe with me,” Kandomere reassures you, “I will have agents watching out for you twenty-four, seven, and you are not to leave your apartment without an escort.”  
You knit your brows together and pull your hands out of his, “What?”  
“So your solution is to just lock me in my tower?!” you demand.  
“That’s not what I-“ Kandomere begins trying to reach out for your hands again.  
You pull away from him and cross your arms, “Not what?”  
He sighs, “Not what I meant.”  
“Oh, so you don’t intend to put me under house arrest?” you question.  
He wets his lips and remains silent.  
“Fine. What’ll happen to the dragon?” you ask looking away.  
“Angelo?” he asks.  
“Yes,” you reply.  
He sighs again, “I don’t know the decision isn’t up to me.”  
You stare back at him, “But you still have an idea.”  
His eyes move to the floor, “A rogue dragon is not a common occurrence, and is not something to be tolerated,” he says and his eyes flick back to you.  
You stare at him in stunned silence.  
“But Angelo is not some random dragon, he has been here a long time, and is quite beloved by the city, which makes this all the more painful. It also means it will take some time to come to a decision,” Kandomere explains.  
“If the decision was up to you, would you kill him?” you ask quietly.  
The elf clenches his jaw and stares at you.  
You start to shake your head and lower your arms, “Kandomere?”  
“He was forced to by magic! It wasn’t his fault!” you exclaim.  
“Kandomere, you wouldn’t…” you whisper.  
His eyes move from you to the door, “McTavish is approaching-“  
You turn from him and march out of his office and down the hall without another word, and you see midway down the hall Montehugh and McTavish. Montehugh continues walking to the elf’s office while McTavish stops in front of you. She looks up at you concerned, “What wrong? What happened?”  
“Stupid, Stubborn, Ass Elf!” you exclaim.  
Her eyes widen and she looks behind you as the door closes to the elf’s office, blocking off his view of the two of you and she nods silently in agreement. You continue past her down the hall and she moves to follow you.

*******

He more than hears her curse at him and then continue walking down the hall. The elf stares at Montehugh briefly and then steps back over to his desk to retrieve his untouched glass of whiskey. As he downs his second glass he hears his partner approach, “NO,” the elf says sternly.  
“Look, Boss, you don’t got a choice anymore,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere turns to him and the man’s face is not one of gloating, but instead somber in nature.  
The elf sets his glass down on his desk.  
“Hire her, and it makes what she did today go from unsanctioned to sanctioned,” Montehugh continues. “Hell, we’ve even got precedence of her working two separate cases with us,” Montehugh says with a shrug of his shoulders.  
“The point is they want someone to go down for this and you and I both know they don’t care who, so it’s either the Lady or the Dragon. And who do you think is going to be easier to get? A lone, human woman? Or a twenty somethin’ ton, fire-breathing reptile, with wings and an armored hide?” Montehugh questions.  
“It’ll be a witch hunt,” Kandomere mutters.  
He hates to admit it, but Montehugh is right.  
The only way to protect her fully is to have no one doubt that she’s on THEIR side, and under MTF’s watchful eye. He just hates that it would put her in more danger, than he’s already put her in.  
Something he regrets tremendously.  
“I want agents outside her place watching anyone coming and going, she is not to leave to go ANYWHERE without someone to escort her, AM I CLEAR?” Kandomere commands.  
Montehugh nods, “Understood, Boss,” and the man begins to walk away.  
“And, Ulysses?” Kandomere says quietly placing his hands on his desk and leaning forwards.  
“Yeah, Boss?” Montehugh inquires.  
The elf sighs, “Bring me the paperwork to fill out for our new consultant.”  
Montehugh nods, “Sure thing, Boss.”  
And with that the man exits his office and Kandomere’s eyes drift down to the whiskey bottle in front of him. He picks it up and sets it back in his drawer along with his glass. Then he catches a glimpse of the evidence bags over on the coffee table and he straightens. He walks over to it slowly and glances briefly at the leather bound book that they were after, he’ll have to ensure this makes it over to Saerthon before this afternoon. 

Then he stares at the book his Bright had given him and picks up the book sealed in the evidence bag and walks back over to his desk. Setting it down he seats himself and opens a drawer on his right and pulls out a couple of gloves from a box and then searches in another drawer and finds a large paperclip. He sets the paperclip on top of the desk and puts on the gloves and then unzips the bag and pulls out the book. He picks up the paperclip with his other hand and then holds the book to where the pages will fall open on their own and his eyes scan through them quickly. He spots something and using the paperclip, gingerly turns the pages until he sees the beginning of a chapter. There’s an ink illustration of an antique framed mirror under the chapter title, “Famed Mirrors and Their Masters.” The mirrors are listed in alphabetical order by the mirror’s name not their owners, considering that some of them were passed down to multiple people. And as such it’s not long before he comes across a hand mirror that more than matches the elven woman’s description of events, and the effect on the rest of the victims. The elf sighs and stares at the diagram of the front and back of the hand mirror made of gold with emeralds arranged in the shape of an angry gorgon’s face with rubies serving as eyes.  
This’ll need to go to the Arcane Researcher as well.  
He places the book back in the plastic evidence bag and closes it, and then throws his gloves and the paperclip into the trash. He reaches into his top left drawer and grabs a notepad and one of his expensive pens and writes down the chapter name, page number, and the name, “Medusa’s Mirror.”

*******

You’re escorted home by not only Hernández and McTavish, but also Agent Davidson and his partner. Hernandez and McTavish wait outside your apartment with you while the two men search your place for any intruders and finding none you’re free to enter on your own. You close and lock the door and remembering how that elf lady liked to use invisibility spells check your apartment using your Reveal Illusion spell. The only thing invisible though is the shoebox you taped to the ceiling in your kitchen. So you shower again to get the smell of smoke off of you and change into your pajamas and then sit on the couch and watch tv for most of the day. 

Eventually, you flip over to the news and watch the coverage of the dragon attack. You start to cry as you see the aftermath of the destruction and hear the current estimation of the people that died with numerous others wounded and in the hospital. Then they switch over to an eyewitness who was on the scene at the time of the attack. And you start to cry more when you see the elderly Brezzik, Banathar alive and well as he sadly recounts his tale of how Ol’ Angelo attacked and burned his shop and many others. He even goes so far at to comment on how he kept a scale for many years of the dragon…you gasp and reach for your phone and dial the Special Agent’s number and you get his voicemail.  
“Kandomere! I need you to check Banathar’s shop! You remember how he had a scale from Angelo sitting on that shelf of his? What if someone used it to control him? Just to be clear I don’t think it was Banathar I mean he’s had it for years,” you say. Placing a hand on your forehead, “What if the elf’s found a way to control dragons with their scales? Or at least get them to attack somewhere that has one?” you question. “Just please, call me back if you get this,” you say and hang up.  
You stare back at the tv replaying the footage over and over and pick up the remote and turn it off.


	8. In the Wake of the Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language

It’s been three days and there’s still no word from the elf. He’s not texted you nor returned your call. Even the agents out front that cycle out from the spot across the street, serving as your “protection” won’t tell you anything.   
In fact they heavily discouraged you from speaking to them directly again.  
You stare out your living room window at them and make eye contact with Agent Davidson, and then you close the curtains again.   
That’s it, there’s no way you’re sitting still another minute.   
You get dressed and turning yourself invisible, step out of your apartment, and lock the door behind you. You head down the hall to the elevator, its been three days and you want to check up on Banathar to see how he’s doing. When you get out of the elevator you wait for someone to open the door to the entrance and slip outside behind them. You briefly glance at the MTF agents and shake your head at them. 

You walk for a while until you come to a familiar street. There are still parts of it that are blocked off with both MTF personnel and the fire department. It looks like they’re letting some people past to sift through the rubble for any personal belongings that might have survived. Once again you duck around the barricade that’s set up and past the unsuspecting people guarding it. You’re trying to remember which shop was Banathar’s, it’s hard to tell, considering how badly burned all the buildings on this side are. Then you step on a piece of wood and look down, it’s the wooden sign for Banathar’s shop.   
Although, most of it is burnt, so the only words you can read are “And More.”  
“Banathar, thanks you,” a familiar voice says.  
You drop the invisibility spell and look around for the elderly Brezzik.  
A couple of firemen step out of the front door and then the Brezzik’s head appears through the doorway followed by a three foot tall safe he pushes out of the building. Banathar pushes it next to the curb and then straightens and lets out a sigh.   
“Banathar?” you question stepping towards him.  
“Hmm?” he mutters and turns to face you.  
His eyes widen and he inhales, “It’s good for, Banathar, to see a familiar face.”  
“How…how are you doing?” you ask tentatively.  
The Brezzik’s shoulders slump and he turns his head to look back at the ruins of his shop. He sighs again, “Banathar, has run this shop for many decades. Banathar, is saddened to see it go. Banathar, had always dreamed of owning this shop ever since, Banathar, had to flee, Banathar’s home country when, Banathar, was small.”   
The Brezzik shakes his head sadly.  
Then he looks to you, “Banathar, is even more saddened that Ol’ Angelo did this to, Banathar.”   
Your gaze moves past the Brezzik for a moment as you look to the space beyond him where you had stopped the dragon and freed him from the spell over him.   
“I’m sorry, Banathar, I know this shop meant a lot to you,” you say.  
“Thank you, Dear,” he says.  
He then pulls his coat back a little and pulls out just so you can see a gold, ornate and silver-haired brush, “Banathar, did not lose everything in his collection,” he whispers. “Banathar, managed to grab this on the way out, and though, Banathar, is loathe to part with it. Selling it would fetch, Banathar, more than enough money to rebuild,” he says and then tucks it back into his pocket.   
“But what about the insurance money? Wouldn’t that be enough to cover it? So you wouldn’t have to sell it?” you question.  
He shakes his head slightly, “Unfortunately, dragon attacks are not covered under fire insurance. No one on this entire block is getting a single penny for the damage done by Ol’ Angelo.”  
“What?! But they can’t just do that!” you exclaim.  
Banathar grumbles and shakes his head again.  
“Banathar, I’m sorry I wish there was something I could do to help,” you say.  
The old Brezzik looks at you and smiles and holds up a clawed hand, “Something you could do to help?” he then gestures at you with both of his hands, “You have already done so much, Dear.”  
“What do you mean? I haven’t done anything,” you state.  
“No?” the Brezzik prompts turning his head to the side so you can only see his left eye, “You stopped Ol’ Angelo in his rage.”  
“You reached out to him,” he holds a hand extended outwards and looks off into the distance, “You spoke the truth to him and you quelled his heart,” he lowers his hand and presses it to his chest and stares down at you.   
“That is not nothing,” he says.  
“You…you saw that?” you ask.  
“Indeed, Banathar, did. Though, Banathar laughs now at the inside joke of a Bright being called a ‘Magic Consultant’” he chuckles.   
“Yeah, I just kind of came up with it on the spot,” you mutter.  
Banathar chuckles again, “Banathar, will be fine. Banathar, is staying with his son and his family for the time being,” he nods, “And you need to take care of yourself,” he adds.  
“What do you mean?” you ask.  
He leans in close, “There are many who would wish you ill and now they know what you are capable of. They will not rest until they’ve found you,” he whispers.   
“Is there anyone you trust who could help protect you? Perhaps even hide you?” he questions with a tilt of his head.  
Kandomere.  
And Montehugh, Hernández, and McTavish.  
You nod.  
“I have friends in the Magic Task Force,” you whisper back.  
“Good,” the Brezzik says with a nod, “This is not over, Banathar, suspects whoever did this also stole, Banathar’s dragon scale a day or so before the attack.”  
“What? The scale is missing? Angelo’s scale?” you ask.  
“Banathar, reported it to the police,” he confirms.  
Which means they have a police report.  
“I need to tell Kandomere,” you mutter.  
Damn it! You just remembered he’s not been returning your messages.   
Fuck.   
And to think you were just starting to like him. Typical elves.   
Maybe just Montehugh then? He did want to hire you.  
“Who?” Banathar asks tilting his head.  
“The elf? You remember? Anyway he’s not important,” you say waving your hand.  
His eyes glance upwards for a moment, and then realization dawns on his face, “Ah, Banathar, remembers. Good, Banathar, feels better knowing he will keep you safe.”  
“What? I didn’t say that he would-“ you begin.  
“Banathar, saw the way he was willing to face down a dragon for you. Not many could say they would do such a thing, and yet he did,” Banathar interrupts.  
He…he is right. The elf also physically put himself between you and Angelo.  
“Banathar, wishes you will stay safe, worse things are yet to come. Banathar, feels it in his old bones,” he continues.   
“There you are!” a voice shouts.  
You turn to see a Latina woman and a Dwarven woman striding towards you.  
Shit.  
“Are they trouble?” Banathar asks you quietly.  
“No,” you respond, “These are my friends.”  
McTavish shakes her head at you, “You know you can’t be out here.”  
“That’s easy for you to say, no one’s even letting me leave my apartment!” you shout angrily.   
“Woah, take it easy,” Hernández says putting a hand up and looking around.   
“We don’t want any unwanted attention,” she says quietly, stepping towards you.  
Both of their eyes dart to the side and you follow them and see a couple of people looking your way.  
“Let’s just give you a ride home, ok?” McTavish says.

You nod and follow them back to their black, SUV. You climb in the back and Hernández climbs into the driver’s seat and waits patiently for McTavish to literally climb into the passenger’s seat. She grabs a hold of the straps on the specially made dark-grey seat tied to the regular seat and hoists herself up and then shuts the door. When you all start driving back to your apartment you finally break the silence, “Banathar said someone stole a dragon scale from his shop before the attack.”  
“What? Who?” McTavish blurts out and whirls around in her seat to face you.  
“The Brezzik? He said someone took Angelo’s scale from his shop a right before the attack,” you say.   
McTavish looks from you to her partner who shrugs.  
“He filed a police report too,” you offer.  
“Is that why the Boss has been?” Hernández mutters to McTavish.  
“Maybe,” she whispers back.  
“What?” you ask.  
“Oh it’s nothing, work stuff,” McTavish says.  
“But hey, we’ll look in to it,” Hernández says looking at you in the rear-view mirror.  
“I’m glad at least someone’s listening to me,” you mumble.  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” McTavish asks.  
“Special Agent Kandomere won’t return my call,” you scoff.  
McTavish looks to Hernández again.  
“That’s probably because he’s been in and out of the office for the past three days,” McTavish explains.  
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s been sleeping on his couch again. I haven’t seen him stop working otherwise,” Hernández says.  
You knit your brows together, “He sleeps in his office? Doesn’t he have, I don’t know, someone to go home to?”  
McTavish snorts, “Not that I know of. The point is he’s been really busy I’m sure he’ll get back to you when he has the time.”  
“I doubt it,” you mutter and stare out the window.

When you all reach your apartment finally the agents escort you up and you find a notice on your door. Shit, it’s from the landlord, you’re late on rent. You quickly remove it and fold it up and stuff it in your pocket.  
“Is everything alright?” Hernández asks.  
“Yeah it’s fine,” you lie.  
She doesn’t look like she believes you and you unlock your door.  
“Hey, slow down,” Hernández says putting a hand on your shoulder and drawing her gun, “Gotta make sure you’re alone.”  
They have you step to the side of the door and Hernández opens it and McTavish steps through with her gun. Hernández follows suit and you roll your eyes and walk in and close the door. McTavish checks the kitchen first and then the utility closet and then they move to your bathroom and pull the shower curtain back. Then they start to move to your bedroom…  
“WAIT,” you say and Hernández stops with her hand on the doorknob.   
“This is all well and good, but what if they’re invisible?” you question.  
Hernández and McTavish stare at each other.  
“What do you suggest we do then?” McTavish asks.  
“Not you, me. I have a spell that let’s me see things and people that are invisible,” you explain.  
“Alright then let’s see it,” Hernández says in amusement.  
McTavish shakes her head at Hernández, but doesn’t object.  
“With my eyes I will see, Unseen things wherever they may be,” you say and then you look around.   
“Woah, your eyes look insane, Muchacha,” Hernández says.  
They follow you as you walk back through the living room and give it a cursory glance and then head to the kitchen. You look around and avoid looking directly up at the box, “Nothing,” you say.  
You then walk to your bathroom and then finally your bedroom. Opening the door a crack you peek in carefully and see the ice covering the room wall to wall even in the darkness and feel the cold air hit you. You quickly close it again and shrug your shoulders at them, “There’s no one here but us, just like I thought.”   
Your spell ends and Hernández stares at your eyes for a moment and then shakes her head.  
“What about the closet?” McTavish questions eyeing you suspiciously.  
“It’s filled to the brim with shit, there’s no way anyone could hide in there,” you lie.  
“Why don’t you want us to check your room?” Hernández asks lifting her head.  
“Look I…” your eyes shift to the side, “Left something private out.”  
“Is it a dildo?” Hernández asks.  
Your face goes red and so does McTavish’s.  
“Gabriela! You don’t need to be so blunt,” McTavish scolds her.  
“I mean but is it though?” Hernández says.  
McTavish pinches the bridge of her nose, “Is it a…” she takes a breath, “Some sort of vibrator or other toy?” she asks waving her hand in a circular motion.  
“Yes,” you say in a small voice.  
Hernández raises her eyebrows at her Dwarven cohort, who shakes her head at her.  
“Did I call it or what?” Hernandez asks.  
“Yes, just, I think we’re done here,” McTavish says quickly.  
“Hey um…please don’t tell anyone, especially not Agent Davidson,” you plead.  
“Oh, I wouldn’t give Davidson the time, trust me you’re good,” Hernández says.  
“Yeah I’m definitely not telling anyone, it’s nobody’s business what a lady does in the comfort of her own home,” McTavish adds.  
“Thank you,” you say, “It’d be super embarrassing, if like the elf found out.”  
“Don’t worry about it your secret’s safe with us,” Hernández assures you.

After that they leave your apartment and you breathe a sigh of relief, that took a bit of an embarrassing turn, but they’re gone. McTavish is just starting to warm up to you and she’ll turn colder than your room if she sees it.   
Although would anyone trust you again if they saw it?  
You sigh and sit back down on your couch and pull your blankets around you.

*******

“Is this all of them?” Kandomere questions staring at the carefully wrapped scales of varying sizes and colors placed in precarious stacks about the room.  
“All the ones we know of,” Saerthon replies, “Both of those belonging to The L.A. Dragon and The Northern Light.”  
Montehugh huffs, “Those people at the museum were not happy with that warrant.”  
“I would say NONE of them were happy to see you,” Saerthon interjects.  
“True, but it was funny to see the look on that one elf’s face when we told him we were takin’ a piece of his from his private collection,” Montehugh responds.  
Kandomere walks purposefully amid the stacks with his hands in his pockets, and he nods to himself. There are scales in brown, yellow, blue, white, and red, all the scale colors belonging to the local dragon couple, good.   
He hopes it will be enough to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.   
After receiving that voicemail from his Bright, he had consulted with Saerthon and his fellows to see if such a thing was possible as using a piece of a dragon to control them. The Arcane Researcher had confirmed for him, that provided the dragon was nearby and the magic was strong enough, it was possible. Kandomere had of course, wasted no time in tracking down everyone in the city who had one or more scales belonging to either of the dragons. He had managed to expedite warrants for all of them and have teams collect them in an impressive three days. He had bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep he’s gotten, but if it means the people of this city are safe from another dragon attack?   
Then so be it.  
“So what would you like me to do with all of this?” Saerthon asks waving a hand at the piles. Kandomere turns to the other elf, “Have them put in storage and whatever won’t fit, transfer to our offsite location.”   
The older, brown-haired elf nods.  
Kandomere tilts his head to the side, “Did you get a chance to look at the books I sent over?”  
Saerthon’s eyes widen, “I did! It was quite exhilarating to hold a key piece in the creation of The Amulet of the Dragon. It seems to be where it was first thought into being. The pages detail the construction and materials used as well as studies for the design of the jewelry piece-“  
“And the other book?” Kandomere interrupts.  
Saerthon’s brow furrows, “I…yes, it seems to be a strong candidate for the petrification of the thirty-nine victims.”  
Kandomere nods.  
“You know this Bright of yours, who you’ve hired on as a consultant, I’d quite like to meet her,” Saerthon says.  
Kandomere raises an eyebrow.  
“Talk shop as it were,” Saerthon continues.

Montehugh’s phone rings and he removes it from his pocket and steps away.  
“Yeah?” Montehugh says.  
“Sir, the Bright went past the blockade,” Agent Davidson says.  
“She snuck past you?!” Montehugh demands.  
Kandomere looks to Saerthon and the two share a glance and then they both stare at Montehugh. Since he and the researcher are both elves, stepping a few feet away did nothing to make the man’s phone conversation private. Perhaps he did it out of habit or courtesy, with Kandomere convinced it’s the former.  
“She snuck past everybody! She went to the Brezzik’s shop inside the perimeter!” Agent Davidson exclaims.  
Kandomere tilts his head back and sighs. So she couldn’t stay put? Again.   
How many times must she do this?  
“Where’s she at now?” Montehugh questions.  
“Hernández and McTavish picked her up at the scene and took her home,” Davidson explains.  
The elf steps forward and gestures for the phone, Montehugh glances at him and hands it to him. The elf then holds it up to his pointed ear.  
“Hello, Agent Davidson, this is Special Agent Kandomere,” he says.  
He hears the man swallow, “Yes, Sir?”  
“I want you to be taken out of rotation and to return to the office,” he speaks calmly.   
“Yes, Sir…what about the Bright?” Davidson asks.  
“Don’t worry about her, I will personally attend to her,” Kandomere says.  
Then Davidson leans away from the phone and mutters to his partner, “Looks like someone’s in trouble.”  
“I can still hear you, Agent Davidson,” Kandomere states loudly.  
“Uh…yes, Sir, sorry, Sir,” Davidson responds.  
“Return to the office, at once,” Kandomere says and then hangs up the phone, and hands it back to Montehugh.  
“Want me to come with ya, Boss?” Montehugh asks.  
“No, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on things and to notify me if there are any updates,” Kandomere says and then he strides out of the researcher’s lab.

*******

You hear a knock on your door and walk over to the door and check to see who’s there. As you stare through the peephole, you see an orc man you don’t know dressed in Fogteeth colors. You’re worried for a moment you might have done something to piss off the local gang when you hear a familiar female voice say, “Franklyn, you’re too close to the door, move back.”  
“Oh, sorry,” he mutters and steps back a bit and you see Torva standing behind him with some sort of glass dish covered in foil. The orc man knocks again and you unlock the door and hesitantly unchain the door and open it a little, “Torva?”   
She peers around her much larger boyfriend, “Hi, we brought you some lasagna, may we come in?”   
You open the door further and stare at the dish in her hands a little confused.   
You’ve lived here for more than a couple of years and no one has ever once tried to be neighborly to you.   
The orc man puts a hand over his chest, “Oh no are you a vegetarian?” he asks worriedly. He turns to his girlfriend, “Torva, I told you we should have asked if she eats meat,” he continues shaking his head.  
“No, it’s fine I do eat meat,” you say quickly.  
“I’m just confused as to why you’re bringing me food?” you question.  
“Oh ‘cause your Aunt died,” he says.  
Your eyebrows raise at him and Torva elbows him, “Franklyn,” she warns quietly.  
“What? It’s like what you’re supposed to do right?” he continues oblivious, “I mean people get sad and forget to eat, so you bring ‘em food as a way to help ‘em get through it.”  
You both stare at him and he quiets, and then shuffles on his feet a little.  
“I’m sorry for your loss by the way,” Franklyn says.  
“Thank you,” you say and you glance back at Torva and then nod your head in the direction of your living room, “Come on in,” you say as you step aside.  
They both walk through your door and you shut and lock the door behind them.

“Um, the kitchen’s right in here,” you say and gesture towards the kitchen and Torva follows you into the kitchen.   
“There are some utensils over there and serving utensils are in here,” you explain as you reach up into a cabinet and pull down some plates while Torva pulls out a spatula to cut the lasagna with. Torva then removes the foil and begins cutting into the lasagna as you hand her a plate, “How big a piece do you want?”   
“Oh, um this is fine,” you say and indicate a corner piece.  
She nods and pries it out and places it on your plate and you hand her another plate and then you set yours aside for the moment on the opposite counter and you pull out some forks for the three of you.   
“Hey Franklin! How big a piece do you want?” Torva calls.  
Franklyn comes into the kitchen, “Oh you know what I like, Babe,” he says wrapping an arm around her waist. She cuts him a slice that’s equivalent to both yours and Torva’s.  
“Heh heh yeah, see?” he remarks and then he presses a kiss to the top of her head.  
She chuckles, “Yeah, yeah, it’s polite to ask.”  
You smile at them both.  
“Oh hey where are the glasses?” Franklyn asks.  
“Up there,” you say and point to a cabinet near you and he starts to move forward, “Oh I’ll get it, you don’t have to-“ you begin.  
“Nah, please let me,” he insists.  
It’s a little crowded in your small kitchen with the three of you in it especially considering how wide and tall Franklyn is.  
“’Scuse me, Torva,” he says and squeezes her ass with both of his hands as he scooches past her and she gives him a playful smack on his stomach as he passes. He reaches you and opens the cabinet and you take the opportunity to inch past him before you’re forced to awkwardly squeeze between the two of them.   
“I don’t really have anything besides water,” you explain, and you open the fridge and frown.   
“Unless you like milk, Franklyn?” you offer uncertain.  
You look over at him and he shakes his head, “Nah water’s fine and please just call me Frank. Only Torva and my mom call me Franklyn.”  
“Oh ok, Frank,” you say.  
You stare into your fridge at the only things left which are condiments and…you lift up the milk jug and shake it, a mostly drunk gallon of milk.   
Which you had been saving for your nearly diminished cereal.  
You needed to get out and buy groceries, but you’re not allowed to leave.   
And what’s worse you didn’t get your full paycheck because of being “sick,” and then getting fired. So you don’t have enough money to cover rent alone even without groceries. If you opted to buy food instead you’re not even sure it would last you a week and your landlord could decide to evict you.   
Maybe you could ask your parents for grocery money?  
You don’t like having to ask them for money, but if you don’t you could be out on the streets…  
“Oh hey! You put baking soda in your fridge just like I do,” Frank says shaking you out of your thoughts.   
“Huh? Oh yeah,” you mutter and you glance at the baking soda you left in the door.  
“I have to do that every time something gets a little funky in the fridge. My nose is real sensitive and I just can’t stand it otherwise,” he says.  
You smile, “You know my Aunt was like that.”  
“Oh yeah?” he asks.  
You nod and glance over at Torva who’s staring into your fridge and wearing a deep frown. You close the doors and she quickly recovers.   
You all fill your glasses with water from the purifier on the faucet and you hand out forks to everyone and step out into the living room finally. You glance over at the blankets still mangled in a pile on your couch and set your glass and plate down on the table, “Oh hold on let me,” you mutter and grab the blankets and quickly fold them. Then you place the folded blankets in the laundry basket in front of the table and pick up your plate and glass again. Frank pushes the coffee table out a bit so he can sit down and you stare at your tiny couch.   
There’s not enough room for all three of you to sit down.  
“You know what I can just sit on the floor,” you say.  
“What? No, I’m sure we can figure something out,” Torva says staring at her boyfriend and then at the couch, “Here, let me just,” she says and sets her plate down and then takes Frank’s and sets it down as well. She then climbs onto her boyfriend’s lap and makes herself comfortable, “There.”   
You sit down on the right side of the couch and Torva retrieves Frank’s and her plate from the table and hands him his. He wraps his left arm around her and then transfers the plate from his right hand to his left and then holds his fork in his right. You take a bite out of the lasagna and it’s good and filling and you almost want to cry. The only thing you’ve had lately is leftover sandwich stuff, chips, and cereal and coffee. With you almost being out of the latter and completely out of the former.   
It feels like an eternity since you’ve had a good, home cooked meal and now you’re missing Aunt Selina’s cooking more than ever.

“Hey are you ok?” Torva asks.  
“Hmm?” you mumble with your mouth full.  
Both orcs are looking at you weird.  
You cover your mouth with your hand and chew and swallow the food.  
“It’s really good,” you manage.  
“Oh, well thank you,” Torva responds.  
You take a few more bites trying not to hungrily devour the food on your plate as they also dig into their food.   
“So tell us about your Aunt,” Torva prompts.  
“Oh um, she loved to cook, like she was one of the best cooks. She could make anything from scratch even, she actually preferred it that way. Felt like she could put more of her own touch on something,” you say.  
“Torva, loves to cook,” Frank chimes in.  
Torva nods, “To me food’s always been real important in my house, just kind of quality family time you know?”  
“Yeah,” you nod in agreement, “Selina and I always made sure to eat together. We ate lunch at least once a week even on our busiest of weeks and often times more than that. She was always sending me home with food too.”   
Frank nods and smiles at you.  
“Uh, let’s see, what else? Her favorite color was purple, and she loved unicorns and anytime she could combine the two she would. It didn’t matter if it was clothing, decorative pillows, oh and she even had a bunch of unicorn figurines all over her apartment,” you continue.   
“What is it with humans and unicorns anyway? I mean they’re pretty, but there are so many more badass, magical creatures out there,” Torva remarks.   
“Oh Selina’s not human,” you state and take another bite.  
“I’m sorry?” Torva asks.   
You stare over at the two of them and realize what you’ve just said. You finish chewing your food and swallow again.  
“I mean not completely,” you say.  
“Oh is she part orc?” Frank asks.  
You shake your head.  
Torva’s brow furrows, “Part Brezzik, or Dwarf?”  
You shake your head again, “She’s half human and half…elf.”  
Maybe you shouldn’t have said anything.  
Both of their eyes widen in surprise and Frank’s mouth opens and you put a hand up, “I’m from the human half obviously,” you say quickly.  
He closes his mouth and nods.  
“Sorry, that just sounds like something you’d hear outta a story,” Frank says.  
“What Franklyn means is,” and she shoots him a look, “Is I can’t say either of us have ever met someone who’s met a half-elf, let alone related to one.”  
Technically she still hasn’t, but you don’t say that.  
You just shrug a little instead.  
“Just um…did she live in the elven district then?” Torva questions.  
“She did,” you say nodding and then you stare down at the floor, “She hated it.”  
“How come?” Torva asks.  
“Honestly, I think elves have just shit on her so much her entire life that she no longer felt a connection or any sense of belonging to that half of her,” you explain, “All the beauty and grace of an elf with the heart of a human or…she said something like that.”  
“Fucking elves, man,” Frank scowls shaking his head.  
Torva pats him on the arm and he shifts in his seat.  
“It probably didn’t help that one of her oldest friends is all the way in France, I mean they would still keep in touch but it’s not the same as visiting her every day,” you say.  
“Is she coming here for the funeral?” Torva asks.  
“She already did, it was Monday,” you lie.  
“Monday? Helluva day that was,” Frank says.  
You just nod silently, trying not to think about it.  
You set your now empty plate down and stare at the glass in your hands, “You know she actually got me out of a shitty job working retail in the elven district? She found me a much calmer office job, except now I’ve lost that too,” you mutter the last part more to yourself.  
You rub your forehead and a bit of an awkward silence falls between the three of you, and after a moment you glance over at them.   
“I’m sorry, I’ve made things awkward,” you apologize.  
“No, it’s fine. It’s good to kind of clear the air…” Torva says trying to reassure you but you see in her face she’s trying to figure out where to go from here.  
“Wait, so you lost your job too?” Frank asks.  
“Yes,” you reply.  
“Wow that’s really rough, do you have anyone else who can help you in the meantime?” Torva asks.  
“Oh yeah, I’ve got my parents, and um…yeah I’ll find another job soon I’m sure of it,” you assure her and give her a half-hearted smile.  
She nods, “Well me and Franklyn have to take off, but I hope things get better for you, it’s never easy when this sort of thing happens.”  
“Oh, thank you for the food and listening to me ramble,” you say, “It…it means a lot to me.”

Torva stands and you stand as well and take everyone’s plates from them and place them in the sink and then walk back into the living room.   
“Hey, you got the bathtub full or somethin’?” Frank asks staring off down your hall.  
“No, why?” you ask staring at your bedroom door.  
“Oh remember how I told you I have a sensitive nose?” Frank prompts.  
“Yeah?” you ask.  
“See I can smell a lot of water,” he explains.  
“Oh I…” you rub your eyes, “Had a pipe burst and it leaked all into my bedroom carpet,” you lie.  
“Ah you should call the landlord to get that fixed, water damage is no joke,” he says seemingly convinced.  
“I would except, I’m late on rent,” you explain.  
“Yikes,” Frank says.  
“I’ll tell him about it once I get everything squared away,” you say.  
They both start to head to your door when Frank turns around, “Oh hey I’ve been seeing a lot of people coming and going from your apartment over the last couple of days and if I’m not mistaken, one of ‘em was an elf?”  
The elf hasn’t been inside your apartment in more than three days and you watch as Frank’s nose flares slightly and you realize that he’s probably smelling him.   
Which means he’s definitely lying.  
“Yeah…um he’s one of the feds working on my Aunt’s case,” you explain.  
“He was here yesterday,” you lie.  
“An elf fed? Can’t say I’ve ever heard that one before,” he muses.  
“Just seems like a weird job for an elf,” he continues.  
“Franklyn,” Torva warns, “We have to go.”  
“He is a weird elf to be fair,” you state.  
“How weird? He’s not done anything squirrelly has he?” Frank questions.  
“Franklyn,” Torva warns again a little more insistent this time.  
“Um no,” you say.  
Torva puts her hands on her boyfriend’s arm and gives him a gentle tug, “Come on.”  
Frank points a finger at you, “If that elf turns out to be too weird you let me know, me and the guys’ll take care of him.”  
“I’ll be sure to let you know,” you say.  
“Thanks again for the lasagna,” you say to Torva.  
“You’re welcome, bye,” she replies as she starts to push her boyfriend out of your apartment.  
“Bye,” you say as they both leave and walk back down the hall.  
You shut the door and lock it and sigh and then head to the kitchen again and finish washing the dishes and then put up the lasagna. After you’re finished cleaning up you head to the bathroom to take a shower and change into your pajamas.

*******

Kandomere walks down the hall and can hear muttering from behind one of her neighbor’s doors a few down from hers. He turns his head briefly, and then turns back around to his Bright’s door and knocks. He hears her stand up and mute the tv and then he hears her walk cautiously to the door.  
“It’s alright, it’s me,” he says hoping to put her at ease.  
He sees her shadow under the door as she checks to make sure and then he hears the lock click and she opens the door a crack, and her face appears.  
“What do you want?” she demands.  
“I need to speak with you about what you did earlier,” he says.  
She rolls her eyes at him and he notices the chain is still in place.  
“So the only way I can get your attention is to get in trouble?” she questions shaking her head, “Just leave me alone,” and then she closes the door and locks it.  
The elf’s eyes widen and then his brow creases and he bangs his fist on the door.  
“LET ME IN,” he says angrily.  
“GO AWAY!” she shouts.  
He hears a door open down the hall and turns to look and sees an orc woman peeking out from her apartment staring at him. He turns his back to her and knocks on the door again, softer this time.  
“Please, open the door,” he says softly.  
“NO,” she responds.  
He sighs, “So you’re telling me you don’t want an update on what we found?”  
There’s a pause and then he hears the chain go back and the lock click and she opens the door. She’s wearing a light blue, short-sleeve and capri pant pajama set that has pick roses and pink trim. She steps aside and he enters and she closes the door behind him. He steps forward into her living room, but she doesn’t move to follow him, instead she crosses her arms and glares at him.

“You shouldn’t have left alone,” he says and he can tell from the look on her face it’s not what she wanted to hear.   
The woman turns from him and places her hand on the doorknob.  
“We’ve gathered up all the dragon scales we could find, if they were the cause of the attack, then whoever was responsible will be hard pressed to find another. Unfortunately, we were unable to find the one the Brezzik possessed which is odd considering it should have survived the fire, although it seems you had an inclination about it already,” Kandomere says.   
She stops and turns her head towards him slightly and blinks a few times.   
“You…you got my message?” she asks in a small voice.  
“I did. And I and everyone else have been working tirelessly for the past three days to make sure there’s not another attack,” Kandomere continues.  
She seems to be listening.  
“I would also like to thank you for recommending I look in that book, because of you, we now have a lead,” Kandomere says.  
She turns her head away from him, locks the door and places the chain back. And crossing her arms again walks back over to the couch and sits down on the right side of it and then looks to him. He moves to sit down next to her on the couch and as he sits down his nostrils flare as he picks up an unfamiliar scent and he sniffs the air.   
It smells like orcs.  
An orc woman and an orc man.  
“Was someone in your apartment?” he asks.  
Her eyes widen and then she thinks for a moment, “Just my neighbors,” she says.  
“The ones down the hall?” he asks.  
“Yeah…” she responds.  
She’s giving him a weird look.  
Right, he forgets humans think this sort of behavior is strange.  
“You should be careful about who you let in your apartment,” he says.  
“I let you in!” she counters.  
Kandomere sighs, “I know this can’t be easy for you.”  
“That’s an understatement,” she mutters.  
“But you can’t keep running off! You can’t keep using magic behind my back!” he exclaims.  
“So what?! I’m just supposed to stay put and be a good, little human?” she demands.  
He opens his mouth and then closes it.  
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he says and holds out his hands. To his surprise she doesn’t hesitate and uncrosses her arms and grasps his hands. He squeezes her hands, “What I’m saying is people get hurt when they go off on their own. I don’t want you to get hurt or worse. I would never forgive myself…”   
Her eyes meet his and even in the dim light they’re beautiful and mesmerizing.  
He moves his left hand to cup her cheek and she leans into his touch.  
“I just want to keep you safe, why must you make this so hard for me?” he asks.  
“I just…” she says and squeezes her eyes shut.  
“You just what?” he asks softly.  
“I just felt so powerless when I fought the elf, so when I feel like I do have the power to do something. To help someone with my magic, I feel like I have to, because no one else can,” she starts to cry. He removes his left hand from her face and holds out his arm for an embrace and she falls forwards into his arms.   
He clutches her tightly as she sobs into his shoulder. 

He holds her for some time until she begins to quiet and then the elf feels her start to nuzzle against his neck when she exclaims, “OW!” and pulls back quickly. He looks at her in alarm and sees she’s rubbing a red mark on her neck.   
He also notices she’s now staring directly at the gorget.  
The elf glances down and sees the chain attached to it and realizes it must have pinched her, he quickly undoes the gorget and removes it and then he places it on the coffee table. Her eyes follow the gorget and she stares at it for a moment on her table and then he outstretches his arms to her again. She wraps herself in his embrace once more and nuzzles against his neck finally resting her cheek against his bare skin. 

He smoothes his hands down her back and she relaxes.   
He buries his nose in her hair and her pleasant and natural scent fills his nostrils and he sighs in content. He holds her for a long while until he feels her start to pull away and he releases her. She wipes at her face and tries to fix her hair to find some semblance of composure.   
He smiles at her softly and she returns it.  
She looks away and shifts a little uncomfortably in her seat and then she straightens suddenly, “Oh I just remembered something,” she says and stands and walks over to a laundry basket sitting in front of the coffee table. She rummages around in it for a moment pushing past some blankets and then pulls out a blue and silver piece of cloth. She returns to the couch and seats herself again and hands him his pocket square back.  
“I hand-washed it, so it’s clean,” she says.  
He takes it from her and nods and then he places it in the inside pocket of his jacket.  
Silence falls between the two of them and she avoids eye contact.  
“We haven’t had a chance to collect all of your Aunt’s things from her apartment yet, but I’ll send for the rest of it as soon as I’m able,” Kandomere says finally.   
She just nods silently.  
“How have you been holding up, I should ask?” he questions.  
“I’ve been managing as best I can,” she says.  
“I was actually talking to my neighbors about it earlier,” she continues, “Don’t worry I didn’t tell them any specifics,” she adds.  
“Talking about it’s good,” he says.  
She stares up at him for a moment and then she glances in the direction of the kitchen, “I…have a couple of photos of her…if you’d like to see?”  
He smiles at her and nods, “I would.”  
She stands and then walks to the kitchen and the elf stands and follows her.   
Kandomere notices briefly the picture frame he got her now hanging on the wall and smiles. He then watches her pull out a step ladder and place it in the middle of the floor and then she fixes him with a worried expression and his brows furrow at her.  
“Please don’t be mad,” she says.  
He eyes her for a moment, “I’ll try,” he offers.  
She climbs up the step ladder and reaches her hands up towards the ceiling and it looks like she’s messing with something and then he hears the sound of ducktape being removed. And as she continues to fiddle with whatever it is, pieces of ducktape become visible as they now hang limply from the ceiling. She removes something he can’t see and holds it in her hands and then she removes the lid and a shoebox becomes visible. He sighs and raises an eyebrow at her, “You know I’m going to have to look through that.”  
“I know,” she says quietly and hands him the box, “You did want me to stop using magic behind your back.”

She then walks past him and out of the kitchen and he follows her slowly, eyeing the contents. There are a handful of glass vials all empty, some dried herbs, a few stuffed envelopes with twine wrapping around them, and… two bottles of the perfume Eternal Rose. He smiles briefly and then sits down next to her on the couch. The dried herbs are in small, mason jars and upon opening them and getting a whiff, he finds them to be medicinal in nature. Merely natural remedies for coughs, sore throats, and an upset stomach, the kind one could brew in an herbal tea even. The glass vials are clean and haven’t been used for anything recently, if at all. One of the envelopes has recipes for cooking, obviously in Selina’s handwriting and another has recipes for anti-venoms and the like. And the last one as he opens it, the woman moves closer to him and rests her head on his shoulder. 

He opens it slowly his eyes watching her and then he shifts his gaze to the envelope and pulls out the contents and it’s filled with pictures of his Bright and her aunt. Most of them show what the half-elf truly looks like and he gets to see for the first time what she actually looked like. For an old half-elf she seemed to have aged well, her eyes were silver, and she had long gray hair, as well as pointed ears. Some of the photos are scenic places in various locations of the two of them together, others are silly candid photos and in some they took turns taking photos of one another posing with statues and the like.   
“Selina developed them all herself,” she comments.  
He comes to a photo of them both standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, with his Bright as herself and Selina disguised as a human, “So you two went to Paris?” he asks. She smiles and takes the photo from him, “Yeah she was telling me all about the history of the city and how there used to be a shop here or there. Or how so and so used to live here and did you know this or that. I was only able to get off work for a few days so it wasn’t enough time to see more of France.”  
“You ought to when you get the chance, it’s quite beautiful,” Kandomere says.  
She looks up at him and then glances back down, tucking her hair behind her ear.  
Then she hands him the photo and he places it back in the stack and carefully stuffs the photos back into the envelope. Kandomere arranges everything back in the box as it was and then covers it with the lid and sets it down on the table in front of him.   
The woman lets out a sigh and rubs at a spot on her abdomen…on her right side.  
“How are your injuries?” he asks.  
“Hmm? Oh…” she lifts up her pajama shirt slightly and he can see a faint scar, “I still haven’t finished healing it yet.”  
“Why not?” the elf asks.  
She blinks a few times and shrugs, “I’ve been too tired or too upset I suppose.”  
He starts to reach his hand out and stops midway, such behavior would probably not be appropriate. But before he can withdraw completely she sees his hand and reaches out with her own and gently clutches his hand and brings it towards her. She takes his hand and lifts up her shirt and places his hand on her bare skin and he traces his thumb along the mark gently. Her skin is incredibly warm especially on her torso and he has to remind himself that human’s run hotter than elves. She stares at him silently and then her gaze falls to his hand and her right hand moves over his left.   
“I might have the strength now to heal it,” she says softly.  
It occurs to him that the only times she’s healed herself have been when he was there to supervise the process, aside from the one time she did it before he knew what she was doing. Although, it also occurs to him that she’s not looking for permission so much as support.  
“Then use what strength you have,” he encourages.  
She smiles at him and closes her eyes and then a soft, white glow appears on her hand and skin and he can feel her hand get warmer and he watches as the scar slowly disappears entirely. She opens her eyes again as the glow fades from them and she raises her head and he inhales as the color seeps back into them and spreads outward from her irises.   
Making her eyes look absolutely enchanting.  
She blinks a few times and he remembers suddenly that his hand is still pressed to her warm, soft stomach and he slowly begins to withdraw. She releases him and adjusts her shirt back into place and clears her throat, “Thank you.”  
He tilts his head at her and smiles, “Of course.”  
A smile tugs at her lips and a slight blush colors her cheeks.  
He shivers slightly and then he stares at her, “Are you cold?”  
She meets his eyes and rubs her arms, “A little bit.”  
“There is a draft in here,” he says looking around.

There’s a window in this room, but the curtains are drawn over it and there doesn’t appear to be any movement to indicate it’s open. Then he stares down the hall to her bedroom. The woman stands up and removes a blanket from the laundry basket and wraps it around herself, “It’s alright, I’ve got plenty of blankets,” she says.  
The elf stands, “Well if you have a window open you should probably close it.”  
“Listen, Kandomere Dear, I’m sure it’s fine,” she says.  
He starts to move towards her bedroom, “You shouldn’t leave it open it’s detrimental to your safety.”  
“Kandomere, it’s fine I promise, I’ll close it later,” she insists quickly following him.  
“I don’t understand why I can’t take care of it now? Besides I need to check all the rooms before I leave anyway,” he continues reaching for the door.  
“NO!” she screams and pulls it shut the moment he turns the knob and plants herself firmly between him and the door. He stares at her as her head remains lowered to the ground refusing to make eye contact. The elf slowly raises his head and inhales and then exhales lowering it again…she’s afraid.   
Kandomere reaches out a hand and places it under her chin and slowly tilts her head up so her eyes can meet his.   
“What don’t you want me to see?” he asks.  
She says nothing.  
He sighs and places a hand on hers on the doorknob, her skin feels cold and as his fingertips graze the metal, so does the doorknob.   
He meets her eyes, “May I?”  
She lets go of the doorknob and he removes his hand from her chin and opens the door. There’s a grinding of ice as the door scrapes across the floor and then stops partially ajar refusing to move any further.   
As he looks deeper into the room…there’s a thick layer of ice covering every surface.  
The bed, the furniture, the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling.  
He closes the door and then turns to the woman, who is once again avoiding eye contact. The elf places his hands on her shoulders and she gasps and he notices her breath come out in a cold puff of air.  
“What happened?” he asks calmly.  
“I…had a bad dream,” she whispers.  
“Last night?” he questions.  
She shakes her head still looking down.  
He thinks for a moment, she had blankets in the living room, which means she’s been sleeping there instead...”When you got home…after…” he trails off.  
She stares up at him finally.   
After the dragon attack. As brave as she was facing down Angelo she’s still afraid of dragons, but she’s also still afraid of him.   
He moves his hands to gingerly cup her face, “Oh Querida,” he whispers tenderly.  
“I’m not angry, and I don’t want you to ever be afraid of me,” he says softly.  
She relaxes at his tone and his words and leans towards him and slowly wraps her arms around him. He pulls her in close and she lays her head on his chest and he rests his chin on the top of her head.   
“You’re safe with me,” he whispers, “I promised I’d take care of you and I don’t intend to break that promise.”  
Her arms tighten around him in response and he holds her for a moment.

And then Kandomere feels and hears his phone vibrating and his Bright must have felt it pressed so close to his chest, because she pulls back to stare at his jacket.   
Kandomere sighs and pulls out his phone and stares at it, it’s his boss.   
He answers it and holds it up to his right, pointed ear, “Hello?”  
“Hello, Special Agent Kandomere, there is something I would like to discuss,” the man’s deep voice says. The woman stares at him for a moment and then leans forward and rests her head on his chest again.  
“What is it you wish to discuss?” Kandomere asks staring down at her and wrapping his left arm around her waist.  
“It’s regarding your new ‘hire,’ I want you to come into the office to discuss the matter privately,” he says.   
Kandomere rests his chin on top of her head and inhales her scent and the elf is thankful that the man on the other end does not possess the hearing to know he’s not alone.   
“Of course, Sir,” Kandomere replies.  
“Within the hour, Special Agent,” his boss says.  
“Yes, Sir,” Kandomere states.  
“Goodbye,” his boss says.  
“Goodbye,” Kandomere replies and hangs up the phone and then he glances down at the woman comfortably nestled against his chest.   
“Hey,” he whispers softly.  
“You have to go don’t you?” she asks her voice muffled by his chest.  
She pulls back and stares up at him.  
“I do,” he says.  
She lets go of him and starts to walk back to the living room, the elf stares after her and then tucks his phone back into his pocket. She crosses her arms and he joins her in the living room. He approaches her and places his hands on her upper arms, “I’ll check in on you when I can and have others looking out for you until then.”  
She nods avoiding eye contact, and then she turns to stare at the coffee table.   
And the elf notices the gleaming, silver gorget he left sitting there…he had almost forgotten it. He steps over to it and picks it up and quickly puts it back on.  
Then he steps towards the woman again who has her back to the door and he reaches a hand out and cups her right cheek.   
“Are you going to be alright by yourself?” he asks.  
She offers him a small smile, “I’ll be fine.”  
He starts to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear…when his fingertips accidentally graze her ear. His eyes widen and he’s about to apologize when he meets her eyes again and stops.   
There’s no change in her demeanor.  
His eyes flick back to her ear and he makes like he’s brushing his fingers through her hair and this time slowly caresses the shell of her ear, and his fingers move uninterrupted around it. He watches her carefully and there’s largely no reaction, she eyes his hand curiously, but other than that? Nothing.   
Perhaps humans’ ears are less sensitive in more ways than one compared to elves’.  
Such a gesture is an intimate one, that she doesn’t understand.  
He leans his head towards her and he presses his forehead against hers and then he feels her rub her forehead against his.   
But this is an intimate gesture she does understand.  
“Goodbye, Querida,” he says softly.  
“Goodbye, Kandomere,” she responds.  
It’s then that he realizes what he just spoke to her.  
He pulls back and brushes the back of his hand on her cheek. She smiles at him and he turns from her and opens the door and steps out into the hallway. She closes and locks the door behind him and then he marches back down the hall.   
He hates that he has to leave her like this.   
He hates that he has to leave her at all.  
Yet he cannot ignore being called in and what worries him more though, is how the conversation regarding his Bright is going to go. 

*******

You turn off the tv and lay down on the couch gathering the blankets around you. As you begin to rest your head on the pillow you catch a whiff of something or rather someone… you instantly recognize the scent as the elf, Kandomere.   
He did sit in this spot…still he must have some really strong cologne…you remember resting your face against his neck and feeling the tiniest bit of stubble scratch your cheek, he must HAVE been sleeping in his office to forget to shave.  
And then of course there was that moment where you had pressed his hand against your abdomen under your shirt in a strangely intimate moment, and you feel your face heat up again. You settle back down onto he pillow and breathe deep, inhaling his scent and you relax a little. Something about him putting you at ease, afterall if someone like him is looking out for you maybe everything will be okay. Your eyelids start to become heavy and you pick up your phone and set your alarm before you forget and as you’re staring at your phone, a thought suddenly pops into your head.   
You tap for the internet and type in translate and start typing.   
That word he spoke to you….it sounded like Spanish, not Elvish.   
Unfortunately, you took Elvish in high school instead of Spanish so you don’t actually know very many words. You stare at the screen, hmm that can’t be right, you try another spelling…still nothing.   
You’re probably misspelling it…or maybe you even misheard it?  
You can always ask him about it later and you set your phone down on the coffee table and pull the blankets around you.   
The way he said it though…was so tender.  
Something you had never expected from an elf, least of all an elf in this line of work, but he is a strange elf, you smile to yourself.   
You like that about him, that he’s strange, that he’s different, and kind.  
You close your eyes again and allow yourself to drift off to sleep.

*******

Kandomere opens the door and steps inside and stares at the bald, dark-skinned man sitting at the opposite end of the conference table.  
“You wished to see me, Sir?” Kandomere speaks calmly.  
“Yes, have a seat,” the man says gesturing to the chair beside him.  
His boss doesn’t bother raising his voice knowing full well that the elf can hear him, and Kandomere steps slowly across the room and seats himself. He notices underneath the man’s folded hands on the table a stack of files. The man stares at him silently for a moment and then inhales, “I’ve noticed your new ‘consultant’ also happens to be one of the victims of an ongoing investigation.”  
Kandomere nods, “That is correct.”  
The man opens a folder and flips through the reports he’s written about his Bright and the elf and dragon. His boss’ eyes skim through it briefly before placing the open folder aside and opening the next one, “And it seems you’ve had her tagalong on more than a couple ‘excursions’ with you and your partner Ulysses Hildebrandt Montehugh, is that also correct?”   
“It is,” Kandomere states.  
He pushes this folder forward and opens the bottom folder and looks through it, this one isn’t as full as the others and that’s because it’s the one regarding Angelo. Kandomere stares down at the report in his own handwriting as he rubs his thumb against his fingertips while his right hand rests itself on the table and then he stares up at his boss.   
“You have stated in your report that she was responsible for stopping the dragon by using magic to free him from whatever had a hold on him, or whomever,” he pauses, and Kandomere steels himself against what he knows his next words are.  
“What makes you think she was not the cause?” the man questions.  
“She was with me, she could not have,” Kandomere states.  
“And yet she knew, because of YOU where she might get a hold of a dragon scale,” his boss says.  
Kandomere was prepared for this.  
“Because there is a police report that was filed for the missing scale early the next morning after the nightclub attack by the Brezzik shopkeep stating it was stolen during the night, a time in which she was still with ME,” Kandomere explains.  
The man looks down at the file in front of him, “Then how come it is not in front of me?”   
“That is due to the fact we did not know a report had been filed and as it turns out the police even took blood samples of the bloody handprint left on the glass case that had housed the scale,” Kandomere continues, “And it belongs to an elven male.”  
The man leans back in his chair and mulls over the elf’s words.  
Luckily Agents Hernández and McTavish had caught him and given him their findings before he had come in to see his boss. His boss scratches his salt and pepper bearded chin for another moment and then he stares at the elf.  
“So it is your belief that she bravely stood against this raging dragon and dispelled the magic upon him?” his boss questions.  
“I don’t just believe it, I know it,” Kandomere says.  
His boss nods, “Very well, then congratulations on your new hire, she will be very useful should there be any future dragon attacks or rogue Brights.”  
His boss gives the barest hint of a smile and then his face becomes grim, “And should she cause any trouble, I will know.”  
The man then gestures with a hand towards the door and Kandomere stands and leaves without another word.


	9. Out on the Elf Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Elven Racism, and Violence.  
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}  
> French Translation at the end.

There’s a knock on your door that jolts you awake and you sit up abruptly and rub between your eyes with the heel of your palm. And then glance at the door when you hear a second knock. Reaching for your phone, you check the time, it’s not even six-thirty yet…who’s knocking on your door?

You look down at your right hand and focus on it and water collects on your fingers and then quickly freezes into sharp shards, making your fingers look like talons. Your fingers are rigid from the ice and you flex them experimentally.  
The bottom joints still move freely, good.  
Tucking your phone into your pants’ pocket, you creep towards the door and check the peephole, and the ice on your fingers quickly evaporates as your expression turns to one of annoyance.  
You sigh and unlock and open the door and glare at Agent Hernández.  
“Hola, Buenos Dias,” she greets you.  
“Do you have any idea what time it is?” you question.  
“Yeah, time for you to get ready for work,” she says.  
You squint at her confused as you try to process her words.  
“Work? No…I got fired,” you mumble.  
“And you got hired to work for us,” she states.  
“Wait, what? No,” you insist shaking your head.  
Now she looks at you surprised, “No one told you?”  
“Told me what?” you ask shaking your head again.  
She sighs and looks away, “So Jefe, didn’t tell you last night?”  
It takes you a moment to piece together the context of what she’s saying before you get who she’s referring to, “You mean Kandomere?”  
“Yes, that’s who I meant,” she confirms.  
She’s wearing a maroon button up top with a black jacket and pants and a pair of low heels and she’s holding a to-go coffee cup in her hand.  
“Oh he didn’t say anything, we kind of were arguing to be fair,” you mutter.  
“I swear I’ve never seen anyone argue with the Special Agent like you have,” she huffs.  
“Aw, I feel special,” you joke.  
She chuckles, “Come on you need to get dressed, I still got to pick up, Gwen,” and she ushers you back inside. You lock the door again and walk over to your laundry basket and crouch next to it and then begin sifting through it for something to wear.  
“Did you sleep out here last night?” Hernández asks.  
Your eyes widen, “Yeah I fell asleep on the couch last night while watching tv,” you lie.  
“Oh really?” she questions and your eyes dart around as you try to nonchalantly look though your clean clothes.  
“So it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Kandomere was here last night?” she asks.  
You almost sigh in relief, “Maybe.”  
“Did you fall asleep in his arms?” she asks amused.  
“WHAT?! NO! We just hugged that’s all!” you exclaim as you feel your cheeks flush and you spin to face her.  
Her eyebrows raise, “You two hugged?”  
You immediately regret telling her that.  
“I didn’t know he was capable of hugging,” she huffs.  
You turn back around and pull out a dark grey and silver skirt and then continue looking for something to match it.  
“Seriously though I’ve never seen him be so…gentle before it’s usually all serious, important elf face,” she says and you turn around and laugh at the comically grim face she’s making.  
“I’m just as surprised as you,” you say and pull out a sky blue, short-sleeve blouse and stand up.  
Turning around again, you hold them up, “Do you think this is appropriate?”  
“Yeah, sure,” Hernández says.  
“Okay because the last time I wore a skirt I ended up running down a half-burning street towards a dragon,” you say.  
Hernández gives a little shrug, “I think it’s just office stuff today, but I’m not sure.”  
“And the time before that I was taken to a Literal Crime Scene with DEAD PEOPLE with little prior warning,” you continue.  
“Hey, that’s just sounds like a typical day at work to me,” she says and takes a sip of her coffee, and you notice for the first time that she’s holding a paper bag.  
“What’s that?” you ask.  
“Breakfast,” she says and holds it up.  
“For me?” you ask.  
“Well, yeah you, me, and Gwen,” she explains.  
“Oh, thank you,” you mutter.  
“Yeah, got some kolaches in here and some donuts in the car,” she continues.  
You nod and then head to the bathroom and brush your teeth, get changed, and put on your makeup, and a pair of heels. You decide after fixing your bedhead to just let your hair down for the day, but you do have hair ties in your purse in case you need to put it up later. As you step out you hear Hernández’s voice from the kitchen, “Hey I used one of your plates, but I rinsed it off and set it in that drying rack.”  
“Oh that’s fine,” you call out to her.  
Your hand is on the doorknob of your bedroom.  
“Hey! Um…” you exclaim and then trail off.  
“Yeah? What’s up?” she asks, her voice getting nearer.  
You blink and then let go of the doorknob, “It’s nothing.”  
You turn around and see Hernández standing in the living room staring at you, and her eyes shift from you to the door and she draws her gun and advances towards you quietly. Your eyes widen and she reaches you and loops her arm around your shoulders and easily pushes you aside.  
And then she opens your bedroom door.  
The door still won’t open all the way, because of the ice blocking it and Hernández aims her gun at the interior and scans the room and then leans in and checks behind the door.  
She sighs, “It’s clear,” and then she turns to you, “Who did this? Did you see their face?”  
You exhale, “It’s not like that.”  
She gives you a confused look, “What do you mean?”  
“I did this,” you admit.  
Her eyebrows raise in surprise and then she glances back at your room and then tongues her cheek.  
She holsters her weapon finally and then rubs her forehead, “Why?”  
“I didn’t mean to,” you say rubbing your arms.  
“Alright. Then how?” she questions.  
You shrug, “I…had a nightmare. About that dragon.”  
She purses her lips and rubs her forehead some more, “Does the boss know about this?”  
You nod, “Yes.”  
“And he seemed? Cool about it?” she questions.  
You furrow your brows, he didn’t exactly scold you for it, more like comforted you.  
“He seemed…perturbed by it? But he wasn’t angry by any means,” you offer.  
Hernández nods and then closes the door, “Alright, well we’ll just get back to that later, probably after I have a word with the elf personally.”  
“Are you mad?” you ask.  
“I’m not mad, I’m concerned. Concerned about you and whoever else lives in this building and on this block. The file said you had control over the weather, si?” she asks.  
“Yes,” you say with a nod.  
“Then that means you could potentially affect every person in your vicinity with your magic and that’s no bueno,” she continues.  
You glance down, “I know, this kind of thing hasn’t happened in a long time, it’s just been hard since…it’s just been hard lately.”  
“I know, shit’s hit the fan for a lot of us, you just gotta hang in there,” Hernández says.  
You nod.  
“Alright, now let’s get going or we’re gonna be late to pick up Gwen,” she says.

You follow Hernández to the SUV she parked nearby and from there she drives you to a suburban neighborhood. She pulls into the driveway of a quaint, little house and puts the vehicle in park. You both get out and walk to the front door and Hernández rings the doorbell. You glance around at the front porch and notice a bunch of kids’ toys left outside like Barbies with mangled hair on the table and toy horses that have fallen between the chairs. Hernández rings the doorbell again, “Coming!” a voice calls from inside and you know it’s not McTavish’s. The lock clicks and the door opens and you see a pudgy, blonde-haired dwarven man with a bushy beard, “Oh! Gabriela! It’s good to see you, Gwen’s almost ready,” he says with a Scottish accent.  
“Hey, Patrick, good to see you too,” Hernández greets.  
The dwarven man is drying his hands with a dish towel and turns his attention to you finally, “I’m sorry I don’t think we’ve met before,” and he extends his hand to you and shakes your hand.  
You introduce yourself and he nods.  
“This is our new consultant,” Hernández states.  
There’s recognition in his eyes, “Oh yeah, Gwen told me something about that the other day. Well, come in both of you, it’ll be another minute or so before she comes downstairs, can’t have you waiting out here in the elements.”  
You follow Hernández inside and Patrick shuts the door behind you both. The dwarven man then shuffles off towards the kitchen to finish washing dishes.  
“Hey, are you going to tell McTavish about the-“ you begin.  
“You know I hadn’t decided yet,” she says with a warning look, “Just keep general work chit chat to a minimum here alright. Patrick worries enough.”  
“Aunt Gabriela!” a small voice cries out.  
Hernández turns and crouches down just in time as a small, blonde, dwarven girl practically tackles her.  
Hernández hugs her back, “Hey, Hannah, how’s my favorite little munchkin today?”  
The little girl giggles and pulls back, “Good.”  
“That’s good, you’re not giving your dad any trouble are you?” Hernández asks.  
The little girl shakes her head enthusiastically, “Nuhuh.”  
“Good. So what do you have planned for today Ms. Hannah?” Hernández asks.  
Her face lights up, “I’m going to the movies tonight with my friends!”  
“The movies? That sounds like fun,” Hernández continues.  
She nods, “Yep. And then we’re having a sleepover.”  
Hernández gasps, “A sleepover too? Lucky.”  
Hannah crosses her arms and lifts her head high and smiles wide.  
“It sounds like you have a busy day ahead of you Ms. Hannah” Hernández says, “Alright I’m gonna go see what’s taking your mom, yeah?”  
“You may leave,” Hannah says with a gesture of her hand.  
Hernández places a hand over her chest, “Oh why thank you, Ms. Hannah,” and then she stands up.  
The little girl looks up at you and seems to notice you for the first time, “HI!”  
“Hi,” you greet back.  
“Who are you?” she questions.  
“Oh, Hannah, this,” and she leans down and whispers, “Is our new ‘Magic Consultant.’”  
The little girl’s eyes widen and she gasps as she stares up at you.  
“Mommy’s boss hired her to tell us all about Magic,” Hernández explains.  
“Have you ever seen a wand!” Hannah exclaims.  
Your eyes widen, “Um no,” you say crouching down, “But I’ve read about them,” you offer.

Hannah grabs your hand and starts to pull you towards a pile of toys on the coffee table. She picks some of them up and starts handing them to you, she hands you a unicorn with a glittery mane and then a doll of an elven man with a comically angry face. You watch Hernández walk up the staircase and then turn back to see Hannah pick up a Barbie with a missing leg and then a plastic snake.  
“What happened to her leg?” you question.  
She looks at it, “Her leg was ripped off by a manticore!”  
“Oh. What happened to the manticore?” you ask.  
“She killed it and made a cape out of it’s skin,” Hannah explains.  
And you note that there’s a cloth napkin tied around the Barbie as a sort of cloak.  
“So who have I got?” you ask holding up the toys.  
“That’s her pet unicorn and this here’s the bad guy,” Hannah explains reaching out and poking the elf doll.  
You look at the unicorn toy, an actual unicorn would be highly insulted to be referred to as anyone’s pet. You also notice that the toy looks more like a horse with a horn than an actual unicorn anyway. Then you stare at the elf with long, blonde hair in your right hand wearing dark red robes and a deep scowl.  
“He’s, he’s the bad guy,” Hannah reiterates pointing at him again.  
“He sent the manticore to take her leg,” she says.  
“What’s he trying to do now?” you ask.  
“He wants to use magic to destroy the world and this is his wand,” Hannah continues and hands you a toothpick and you put it in his hand.  
“But her and her pet unicorn are gonna stop him, right?” you ask pointing to the unicorn.  
“Yep,” she says so matter of factly.  
“Well in, that case...You will never defeat me!” you say in a mock elven voice.  
“Oh no he’s got a snake!” Hannah exclaims waving the toy snake around.  
“I’ll save you!” you say in an overly girly voice and trot the unicorn towards the snake and poke it with the horn.  
“Hiss! Ahhh!!” Hannah exclaims and throws the snake off the table.  
“NO!! My pet Basilisk, Basil, Noo!!” you exclaim in your villain voice while shaking the elven doll.  
“Now Surrender Elf!” Hannah exclaims.  
“Hannah?” McTavish calls.  
“Yeah?” Hannah answers and looks up at her mom standing nearby.  
“Did you brush your teeth?” McTavish asks with her hands on her hips.  
The little girl remains silent and continues to play with her toys.  
“Hannah?” McTavish says sternly.  
“No,” she finally answers.  
“Go brush your teeth,” McTavish orders.  
“Fine,” Hannah grumbles and puts her toys down and starts to head upstairs.  
You hold up the elven man doll and whisper in your villain voice, “To be continued…”  
Hannah giggles and yells, “Good guys always win!” and then runs upstairs.  
McTavish looks at you and you stand up and set the toys down.  
She’s wearing a gold silk blouse today that fades to orange at the sleeves and the bottom where it’s tucked into her high-waisted, black pants. She’s holding her purse and her cardigan in her arm and she looks you over for a moment.  
“Alright, let’s go,” she finally says.  
Patrick comes striding into the room and gives his wife a quick peck and the two exchange a few endearments in Dwarvish.  
McTavish smiles at him fondly.  
“Be safe at work today,” Patrick says and the two exchange another quick kiss.  
And then the three of you leave the McTavish residence and climb back into the car.

*******

“No, no, no! Move that there and place that over there,” Saerthon orders.  
Kandomere steps around the researchers and extra teams moving the evidence from the half-elf’s apartment around the lab. After everything that has happened with the dragon, the elf had finally been able to send teams to properly collect evidence from Selina’s home. If there were any more secrets she had kept they would find them. He strolls over to Saerthon who seems exasperated by all the extra personnel in his lab.  
The older elf notices him, “It certainly seems you intend to keep me busy,” he says.  
Kandomere smirks, “I thought you hated being bored?”  
“Yes, well it appears I needn’t worry about that anymore. Especially not if all this keeps up,” Saerthon says gesturing to the room.  
“Now about the item?” Kandomere questions with a raised brow.  
The other elf’s eyes widen, “Yes. Yes, of course.”  
Saerthon then gestures for him to follow and the two walk through the main lab into Saerthon’s nearby office. Saerthon then closes the door behind him and closes the blinds on the glass windows, including the one built into the door. The other elf then strolls around his wooden desk and unlocks a drawer and pulls out a small and rectangular, wooden box. Then he uses another key and unlocks it and turns it to reveal resting on the purple velvet interior, a unicorn brush with a white, wooden handle.  
Kandomere nods in approval.  
“I’m keeping it in here, because I’ve already seen a couple of my assistants eyeing it. It would not bode well for anyone if it were to go ‘missing,’” Saerthon says.  
“Which assistants?” Kandomere questions.  
Saerthon gives him the names of three of his research assistants all of which are human.  
“Keep them busy until it’s out of our hands. That way if they get the temptation they would not get the opportunity,” Kandomere states.  
Saerthon nods, “I am already in the process of doing just that. It shouldn’t be a problem,” he gestures out past his obscured windows, “Considering all you’ve brought me. Should anything come up, I will notify you at once.”  
Kandomere nods, “Good.”  
Saerthon closes the box and places it back in his drawer and locks it as well. The two elves exit the office and Saerthon locks his door as an added precaution.  
“By the way I have analyzed the substance housed within that ring found at the nightclub and found it to be some sort of venom. I sent off copies of my findings to cross-reference which species it is to experts in magical creatures,” Saerthon explains.  
Kandomere sighs, “Of course leave it to an elf to go the extra step in acquiring something truly dangerous.”  
“She is a Bright. I would presume she simply enjoys power,” Saerthon remarks.  
They reach the main room again and an elven woman with lavender hair in a tight bun and a gold colored dress approaches them.  
“Saerthon, I’ve gone over the spellbooks and think you should have a look at my findings,” she says.  
“Hmm, oh yes, thank you,” Saerthon says as he takes the stack of papers from her.  
Her eyes shift to Kandomere and they slowly trail over him and then her attention is focused on the Arcane Researcher once again. Kandomere’s brows furrow at her and Saerthon looks up from reading the elven woman’s report and he glances between the two of them.  
“Oh, right. Special Agent Kandomere, this is the Specialist of Arcane Knowledge and History I was telling you about,” Saerthon explains.  
Right the Specialist.  
She’s here to assist with the case for the half-elven woman, Selina.  
“A pleasure to meet you,” she greets sweetly.  
“Yes,” Kandomere says becoming a bit disconcerted with all the eye contact she’s making. He turns to Saerthon, “I’ll leave you to your work then.”  
The older elf nods and begins reading more of the report in his hands as he begins to wander off. And Kandomere strolls out of the researcher’s lab and outside the building and begins heading back in the direction of the main office building. As he makes his way across the sidewalk that cuts a path through the grass he hears someone in heels following him and a quick inhale on the wind reveals it to be the Specialist. 

He turns on his heel to face her and raises an eyebrow at her as she approaches.  
“Yes? Was there something you needed to discuss?” he questions.  
“Yes, actually,” she says tucking a loose strand of hair behind her pointed ear.  
“I was hoping that you might like to join me for a cup of coffee?” she asks with a smile.  
His brows furrow at her and he glances down and blinks a few times, “Thank you for the offer, but my answer is no.”  
Her face falls, “Oh, might I ask why?”  
“I am not looking to court anyone at the moment,” he says staring at her.  
She smiles again, “Neither am I.”  
He sighs, “Nor am I looking for casual companionship,” he states.  
“…I see,” she says disappointed.  
“Have a good day,” he says and starts to turn away.  
“You as well,” she responds and he hears her slowly walk back to the lab.  
Kandomere continues on his way back to the office and enters the building and takes the elevator up. When he gets off on his floor Montehugh sees him and intercepts him, “Hey, Boss, Hernández and McTavish brought in our new consultant a little while ago. She’s waiting for you in your office.”  
The elf nods and makes his way to his office and opens the door.  
He spots his Bright wearing a light, blue blouse and a dark-grey and silver skirt, sitting on his couch with her feet curled up underneath her looking at her phone. She notices him enter and quickly uncurls herself and slips her shoes back onto her feet. He smiles at her and she shyly returns it.  
“I have something for you,” he says.  
And he can tell from her expression he’s piqued her curiosity and he finds it oddly adorable, the way her face softens and her eyes widen as she moves to follow him to his desk. He opens a drawer and pulls out some paperwork for her to sign as well as her first paycheck…

*******

You watch as Kandomere sets the paperwork down on the desk and pushes it towards you, “I need you to sign a few things and fill out some information since, you’re going to be working here,” he says with a smile.  
“Of course,” you say and sit down in the chair and begin looking through the paperwork. He sits as well and opens another drawer and removes a rather nice looking pen and hands it to you. You smile and take a few minutes to read through it and you fill it out as you go. When you’ve finished you hand it back to him and the elf takes a moment to examine it.  
“I would like to congratulate you on your new position. We’ve already done a background check so there’s no need to wait for that,” Kandomere says.  
“So does this mean I have to call you Sir? Or Special Agent?” you ask playfully.  
He smiles and glances down for a moment and then back up at you, “You can if you’d like, but you don’t have to.”  
“Can I just call you Kandomere then?” you ask.  
He stares at you and tilts his head, a smile tugging at his lips, “Certainly, we’re on a first name basis already.”  
He then picks something up and signs it, “By the way here’s your first paycheck,” he says and hands it to you.  
“First? But I haven’t done anything yet?” you protest.  
“Is that so?” Kandomere questions, “What do you call all the other times you’ve already assisted us?”  
You have been helping out a lot lately.  
You look down at the check and your eyes widen at the amount written down.  
“Is everything alright?” Kandomere asks.  
The elf is becoming hyperaware of when you get upset.  
“Yes,” you squeak.  
The elf starts to rise out of his seat.  
“Are you sure this is the right amount?” you question.  
A small part of you knows that you shouldn’t be asking that, considering you’re now holding some much needed income.  
“Yes, why?” Kandomere asks confused.  
“It’s just more than I got paid for two months of work at my previous job,” you say.  
Kandomere’s brows raise, “We compensate our people fairly well here. That does also include hazard pay, which you have more than earned.”  
You relax a little, considering you did almost die, you feel better about taking the money now.  
“This is some good news,” you say holding it up, “Now I can pay rent AND get the good takeout.”  
Kandomere looks at you in alarm, “What?! You were struggling to pay rent?”  
“Yeah and groceries, but it’s fine now,” you say.  
That doesn’t seem to have calmed him down in the slightest.  
He shakes his head, “Querida, you should have told me!”  
“I didn’t want to trouble you with it,” you argue.  
“Trouble me? Your troubles are my troubles, no matter how big or how small. Querida, I would have helped you,” Kandomere says crestfallen.  
“You are,” you assure him holding up the check, “You gave me a job. This way I can work for it and it’s not just a handout.”  
“You mentioned groceries, have you eaten today?” Kandomere asks.  
You nod, “Yes, Hernández actually bought food for all of us this morning.”  
He finally starts to calm down, “Good. If you need anything don’t hesitate to ask. Even if it’s a home cooked meal, I am a very good cook.”  
You smile at him, his offer, warming your heart.  
“I might have to take you up on that some time,” you say.  
He smiles back at you.  
You hear the door open and turn to see Montehugh walk in wearing a black suit and tie and carrying a hat in his hand.  
“Trying out a new look?” you ask.  
“It’s my undercover look,” Montehugh says.  
“I mean it’s not a huge change, who are you pretending to be?” you ask.  
“A limo driver,” Montehugh answers.  
You turn back to Kandomere.  
“Remember when you told us you could disguise yourself as an elf?” Kandomere questions.  
“Where are we headed?” you ask.  
“To the elven only section of the district. We managed to track down the Broker your Aunt was dealing with,” Kandomere states.  
Your eyes widen.  
“There was trash from the package your Aunt received still in her apartment, so we did some digging and scoped the place out and…we got him,” Montehugh confirms.  
“He’s known as The Arcane Relic Broker and he’s been dealing in magic items for quite some time. We hope to find leads on both the amulet and the mirror used in the nightclub attack,” Kandomere explains.  
You nod, “Then let’s go,” you say and stuff your check into your purse and start to stand up.  
“A few things first,” Kandomere says, “Stay near me. Don’t be too direct in your questioning we don’t want him to be suspicious. You MAY use magic when we’re in there and lastly when we first enter his establishment let me do the talking.”  
You nod.  
“Alright, we’re gonna drive to where we dropped off the limo earlier and then enter elf town, once there I’m gonna drop both of you off and we’ll meet up later, Boss already knows where, but I’ll explain to you in the car,” Montehugh explains.

 

*******

You step out of the car and move to stand across from the elf in the parking garage and stare at him for a moment.  
“Are you married?” you ask suddenly.  
His eyebrows raise at you, “Why do you ask?”  
“I just thought this might be easier if we pretended to be a couple,” you say.  
He smiles slightly and glances down and then back up at you, “No, I am not.”  
“How come? I would’ve thought at your age you would be, I mean you’re what? A little over a hundred?” you question.  
“Isn’t it just as surprising you’re not married yet, either?” he asks.  
You stare at him and smile, “Touche.”  
“I thought it was a good reposte,” he says.  
“Vous parlez Français?” you ask.  
“Oui,” he replies.  
“Combien de langues parlez-vous?” you ask.  
“Beaucoup en fait,” he says.  
“Je devrais vous poser plus de questions sur ce sujet plus tard, Monsieur,” you say with a smile.  
Montehugh just looks between the two of you, “Ok can we just get this show on the road?”  
“Right,” you say and you’re just about to start your spell when Kandomere stops you.  
“Wait, they’re not going to believe we’re together even if we say so,” he says.  
“How’s that?” you ask.  
“Well,” he says raising his brows, “You need to smell like me.”  
Now you raise your brows at him.  
“Like we’ve been…together,” he says simply.  
You cross your arms and smile at him, “That’s not a problem, I just need to change a few words is all, and they’ll easily believe I’m your fiancée.”  
He waves a hand at you to continue.  
“As I speak make me seem an elven maid,  
In clothing that is tailor-made,  
With silver eyes, sharpened teeth, and ears with tapered tips,  
Elegant from my neck to down past my hips,  
Make it known to all elves here,  
That my husband-to-be is Kandomere,” you say and once again specks of light form and cling to you and then there’s a bright flash. 

And you’re now standing, wearing a gorgeous blue, floral, lace dress with sleeves that come to your elbows. You’re wearing a pair of matching blue heels and black panty hose, and for jewelry a pair of sapphire drop earrings hangs from each of your now pointed ears. There’s also a necklace with a teardrop shaped sapphire hanging from a silver chain, and on your left hand, last but certainly not least is a platinum ring with a large diamond and several smaller diamonds surrounding it.  
A ring so expensive looking, it’s sure to make even elves jealous.  
“Well?” you ask the elf.  
His eyes trail over you and with his hands in his pockets he slowly walks over to you. He sniffs the air, “You certainly smell like an elf.”  
He stops in front of you and gingerly takes his hand out of his pocket and pulls a lock of your hair forward over your right shoulder. He leans towards you and inhales deeply his face ghosting against your hair and your cheek. You feel a heat creep into your face and your thankful that with your illusion he won’t be able to see your blush. He makes a satisfactory sound in the back of his throat and you feel the heat creep…somewhere else.  
The elf steps back finally and locks eyes with you, “You do SMELL like ME,” he says pleased.  
You clear your throat, “I told you.”  
You’re beginning to feel a little weak at the knees under his intense eye contact.  
“Alright, love birds we need to get going,” Montehugh says interrupting you both.  
You walk over to the limo and Kandomere opens your door for you, and you climb into the car. The elf moves around the vehicle and then he opens his door on the opposite side and seats himself next to you in the backseat. He extends his right hand to you and you place your left hand in his and he turns your hand to examine the ring.  
He frowns slightly.  
“What? Is it not expensive looking enough?” you ask.  
“No, it’s just not what I would’ve picked,” he comments.  
“Well, we’re not actually getting married,” you remind him.  
He smiles at you and places your hand on his lap, both of his hands now encompassing yours. You smile and look forward as Montehugh drives you both to elf town. Once you’re past the gates you all begin to head in the direction of the elf only section. Which is primarily homes but there are certain shops sequestered in the center of which are unique to this part of the elven district.  
Shops like the elven Relic Broker.  
“Now, elves aren’t fond of PDA as they are a reserved people and prefer to show affection in private, “ Kandomere explains.  
“I know, Dear,” you say.  
He raises an eyebrow at you.  
“I’ve watched plenty of elves to pick up on as many subtle behaviors as I could to improve my disguise. Which is also why I made my outfit match yours,” you say turning to him with a smirk.  
He smiles at you and looks you over.  
Elven couples that have been together for a while would color coordinate their ensembles to make it even more obvious to people that they were in love and that others should be jealous of how in love we are and how good looking we are. But even still the physical affection you had seen them show one another had been minimal, never anything more than a kiss on the cheek or holding hands as they walk.  
“You do look beautiful,” he says and reaches out with his left hand to tuck the hair behind your right ear and you feel his fingertips slowly caress your ear. You look at him in surprise and he mirrors your expression and jerks his hand back, “I’m sorry, I should have asked if…”  
“Kandomere,” you whisper horrified.  
“Forgive me, I did not mean to cross any boundaries with you,” he apologizes.  
“Boundaries? No, you’re going to fuck up the illusion!” you scold him.  
A look of confusion crosses his features and you sigh, “Listen, Darling, you can tuck my hair behind my ear all you want just…make sure its Around my Elven Ear.”  
Realization dawns on his face and he nods, “Right.”  
In touching your real ear his fingers were able to pass through the illusion and anyone would easily be able to recognize then the use of a spell. He returns to holding your hand in both of his and stares forward silently for a moment. You stare at him curiously and he finally opens his mouth, “So it does not bother you when I touch your ear?” he asks looking down at you.  
You knit your brows together and shake your head gently, “No, not all, I mean it doesn’t mean anything to me,” you say.  
He stares at you and wets his lips and then nods.  
“Why?” you ask softly.  
Elves ears are sensitive…perhaps even sensitive to pain.  
Was he afraid he’d hurt you?  
He remains silent, his eyes now focused out his window.  
“You weren’t worried you’d hurt me, were you?” you ask, he turns to stare at you, “Because you didn’t.”  
He smiles and his thumbs stroke both your knuckles and your palm, “I was.”  
“Sensitive ears?” you ask softly.  
His eyes widen, “I’m sorry?”  
“Elven ears are sensitive, yes? And I’d imagine also delicate. Delicate enough that it’d be easy to damage them?” you question.  
He studies you and slowly opens his mouth, “Yes…they are.”  
You nod gently, “It’s alright with me if you touch my ears, you can touch them as much as you want.”  
The elf’s pupils dilate suddenly and is that…a blush creeping it’s way across his face, “Um…Querida, I’m glad we’ve settled that, let us perhaps focus now on the Broker?”  
“Oh, right,” you say.

Montehugh drops the two of you off on the sidewalk and drives off to the agreed upon meeting point. Kandomere holds his right arm out to you and you slip your left arm into his.  
“Come, Mi Amor, we have business to attend to,” he says.  
You smile at him, “Why of course, Darling.”  
And you walk down the sidewalk together.

After walking for a bit you realize that heels might not have been the best choice to wear today, because now your feet are starting to hurt and you just want to sit down. Kandomere takes longer strides than you, but is doing a good job at not walking too fast so you can keep up.  
“How much further?” you ask.  
“Just a couple more blocks,” Kandomere says.  
“Good, I don’t want to have to keep walking in these heels,” you say.  
“You can take them off when we get back in the car,” Kandomere huffs in amusement.  
You hear a familiar voice call out the fake name you’ve used in the elven district.  
No, not her.  
“Lorneth!” you sing out and turn to see the elven woman approach.  
“{Oh it’s been so long since I’ve seen you,}” she says, “{What has it been like a year?}”  
“{Has it? Then it’s been too long,}” you say.  
Not long enough actually.  
“{I agree,}” she says waving a hand and then her attention shifts to Kandomere, “{So…who is this?}”  
Ah, so this is the reason she’s said hello.  
“{Oh, Lorneth, this is my fiancé, Kandomere,}” you say and hold up your left hand to show her the ring.  
“{Oh,}” she says holding up her hand and fiddling with her nails as she stares at you, “{Good for you.}”  
She’s eyeing your ring and you can tell even behind her dark sunglasses that she’s jealous of how nice your illusory ring looks.  
“{A little soon to be getting married already, but you two are cute together,}” Lorneth says sweetly.  
Kandomere rolls his shoulders, “{We’ve actually known each other for quite some time.}”  
Her eyebrows raise, “{Is that so?}”  
“{Yes, we only finally got together recently, her Aunt has quite the screening process for suitors for her niece,}” he says and smiles at you and you smile back.  
“{Ah yes, she can be a bit stubborn, that one,}” Lorneth remarks.  
“{So how did you meet then?}” she asks.  
“{We met in Paris of course, he moved away to America for his job and it was only a year ago we met up again and reconnected,}” you say.  
You glance at Kandomere, who sees the opening you’ve given him and takes it.  
“{I remember the first time I saw her like it was yesterday,}” he says softly.  
“{The way the lights shone on her face that night when we danced together,}” he continues his hand stroking your knuckles. “{I knew when I met her that she was the one,}” he finishes and brings your left hand towards his face and presses a gentle kiss to your knuckles all the while making eye contact.  
You can’t help, but to feel weak at the knees again and you smile wide at him.  
He then leans forwards and presses his forehead to yours and then he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, this time careful not to disrupt the illusion.  
When you stare back at Lorneth she seems displeased by this interaction.  
“{Oh by the way, I heard about your Aunt,}” she says suddenly, “{I’m so terribly sorry, Dear,}” she says shaking her head.  
You pull back from Kandomere a bit and straighten, “{Thank you,}” you mutter glancing downwards.  
“{Where is she buried? I was hoping to visit her or send some flowers,}” Lorneth asks.  
“{She wasn’t buried…she was cremated,}” you say numbly.  
Kandomere steps towards her, “{Your sentiments are dully noted, now if you’ll excuse us we have more IMPORTANT matters to attend to.}”  
He turns back to you and places a hand on your lower back and guides you forward and Lorneth just stares dumbfounded at the two of you as you leave. He calmly continues forward and it’s not until you’re another block away that you glance up at him finally.  
He looks down at you, “What?”  
You smile, “Nothing, Darling, you said we were almost there?”  
“We are it’s just over there on that corner,” he says and points with his left hand.  
You lean your head against his right shoulder and you smell his cologne again, it’s a calming scent and you let out a small sigh. Kandomere straightens a little and maybe it’s your imagination, but he seems to be leaning into you now. You both walk towards the rather nondescript shop across the street and you wonder if this is the right place.

Kandomere opens the door for you and you smile at him, “Thank you, Darling,” you say. He smiles wide and follows you inside, his hand quickly finding your lower back again. The shop seems to be a bookstore of sorts with old-fashioned ink, blank leather-bound journals, and pens covering the shelves. The two of you approach the counter where an elder, elven gentleman is seated. He looks up from the book that he is reading when you enter and eyes you both from behind his half-moon glasses.  
His eyes fix on Kandomere’s gorget and there’s a slight tug at the corner of his lips.  
“{Yes, is there something I can help you both with?}” he asks.  
Kandomere speaks first, “{I would certainly hope so.}”  
He then leans forwards, “{I slash with both talon and claw.}”  
The other elf sets his book down and folds his hands across it, “{And I am a lion with no roar.}”  
Oh, this is some sort of password, you realize and remain silent and expectantly look at your “fiancé” Kandomere.  
“{I am brave and strong, the protector of my mate and my family,}” Kandomere says.  
“{I possess no magic of my own, but rival those who do,}” the other elf finishes and then he smiles slightly. He then stands up and places the ribbon back in his book to mark the page, “{If you will follow me.}”  
You both follow the elf and he unlocks a door in the back with a plague on it in elvish that you do recognize as saying, “{Staff Only}” and you all step inside. The room that you’re all now standing in appears to be a normal office, well normal for elves anyway, considering it’s got a hardwood desk and bookshelves neatly across every wall. The elf continues to the desk and picks up a remote and pushes a button and one of the bookcases swings open. The older elf steps inside and you both follow him to another room filled with an assortment of things. There are vials carefully organized behind a counter, some of the liquids you recognize at a glance and others you can’t, but you doubt they’re any less magical than their counterparts. There are books on shelves lining the walls except now you recognize them as spellbooks, many of which are in different languages.  
“{Now, let’s talk business shall we? What is it you are looking to acquire?}” the older elf asks Kandomere.  
“{I’m looking for a wedding present for my future wife,}” Kandomere says pressing a kiss to your left hand and you smile at him sweetly.  
“{So it’s not me you need to impress,}” Kandomere continues.  
“{Oh,}” the elf says and turns his attention to you, “{Well, congratulations to you both then, I am Nöuthmir, is there anything in particular that is of interest to you?}”  
You look around the shop again, “{What do you have that’s rare?}”  
He huffs, “{A great many things in here are rare and unique.}”  
You catch Nöuthmir shoot Kandomere a look that you’ve seen far too many times in your life. The older elf finds you adorable and out of your depth.  
You are pleased when you see Kandomere narrow his eyes at the elf.  
At least your fiancé has your back….fake fiancé, you meant your fake fiancé.  
“{How about this?}” Nöuthmir asks gesturing to a large, glass cylinder on a table with a gold and orange feather held aloft with a metal clip at the base.  
“{The tail feather of a phoenix,}” Nöuthmir says proudly.  
You wave your hand over it and a gust of wind swirls into the cylinder and the feather erupts into an inferno of flame, startling the elf.  
Nöuthmir stares at it and then stares at you.  
Kandomere walks up behind you and wraps his arm around you, “{Did I mention my Beloved is a Bright?}” he questions a little proudly.  
“{No, perhaps we should have started with that,}” Nöuthmir remarks.  
“{It’s not a tail feather,}” you state.  
Nöuthmir blinks, “{What?}”  
“{It’s a wing feather, you can tell from the shape. A pinion feather in fact,}” you say.  
Nöuthmir frowns at the feather, “{Yes, well I acquired it in a trade with a Brezzik.}”  
“{What did you trade for it?}” Kandomere asks almost offhandly.  
“{A unicorn-haired brush actually,}” Nöuthmir replies and then turns to you, “{Perhaps such an item would-}“  
“{She already has one of those,}” Kandomere interrupts.  
The older elf raises his brows, “{Then you are a woman of taste.}”  
“{Of course I am, I’m an elf,}” you say.  
You feel Kandomere’s hand on your back grip you firmly.  
Right, probably a good idea to ease off the, “No, really I’m an elf, honest,” conversation then. Your eyes drift lazily over the shop and you take in the vials behind the counter, “{So what are all those?}” you question.  
“{Ah those,}” Nöuthmir says and steps behind the counter, “{Are various potions and elixirs and components from magical creatures.}”  
You and Kandomere move to stand in front of it and you scan through them and…although the labels are exclusively in Övüsi, you still recognize most of them upon closer examination by their color, except for…”{What’s that one?}” you ask and point to a sickly yellow liquid.  
Nöuthmir turns and picks it up and examines it.  
And for a moment the label is turned towards you both and you reach your hand under the back of Kandomere’s coat and pinch him.  
“{It’s Basilisk’s venom, yes?}” Kandomere speaks up.  
Nöuthmir looks over to him, “{You’re quite right,}” and then he eyes you, “{What interests you in such a deadly component?}”  
Shit.  
“{I’ve read that it can reverse petrification,}” you say.  
His eyebrows raise in surprise, “{Not many know that, I’m impressed.}”  
Kandomere looks at you concerned.  
“{Darling, you couldn’t possibly…I forbid it,}” Kandomere says.  
Now Nöuthmir looks between you both confused, “{You’re not planning on ingesting it, are you?}”  
“{What?! No!}” you exclaim.  
“{Good, because it is highly corrosive and can only be contained within either an enchanted glass or an otherwise rare metal,}” Nöuthmir says.  
Kandomere glances back at him and you can see his thoughts racing, “{A metal such as platinum?}”  
“{No other would suffice,}” Nöuthmir states matter of factly.  
You’re curious what piece of evidence of a case you just helped him with, but you’ll have to ask him about it later.  
“{You heard my Beloved, he forbids it,}” you say and Nöuthmir sets the vial back in its proper place. You sigh and Kandomere massages your left hand in his in a comforting gesture that feels a bit unnecessary to your façade.  
“Mi Amor, {is there anything else you can think of?}” he asks softly.  
You glance at him and think for a moment and his right hand smoothes up your arm. You smile at him softly, “{How about a mirror? Or some sort of jewelry?}” you then ask Nöuthmir.  
His eyebrows furrow, “{What sort?}”  
“{An amulet, perhaps?}” you ask hopefully.  
“{Hmm, yes, I’m afraid those are quite rare it might take some time for me to procure one,}” Nöuthmir says.  
“{Oh,}” you mutter disappointed.  
Well, there goes the shred of hope that you might find the amulet anytime soon.  
“{Our wedding is in a month, maybe we could find the hand mirror you suggested?}” Kandomere prompts.  
Your eyes widen, “{Yes! Do you have any of those?}”  
Nöuthmir’s brows furrow further, “{The only seller I had of that particular item has gone dark on me, I’m afraid. He was supposed to trade it for another item with a regular of mine, but apparently he has proven to be unreliable, a mistake I will not make again.}”  
You and Kandomere exchange a glance.  
“{Is there anything else I can help you with then?}” Nöuthmir questions, “{You mention your wedding is close,}” he turns and plucks a different vial off the shelf behind him, “{This would certainly help spice up your wedding night, a little extra help, hm?}”  
You look at the vial and then stare up at Kandomere, who’s face now has a blush creeping across it. You can see he’s struggling to come up with something to say so you place your right hand on his chest and stare at his crotch and wet your lips and then fix your gaze on the broker, “{Oh he doesn’t need any help in the bedroom.}”  
You feel Kandomere shift slightly and you’re sure he’s staring down at you now.  
“{Then it sounds like you’re a lucky woman,}” Nöuthmir comments and he puts it back.  
“{Considering his prowess and stamina? Very lucky,}” you boast.  
Kandomere’s arm tightens around you and you feel that heat creeping back into your abdomen, and you suddenly wonder what he might look like naked…Oh God why do you even want to picture him naked? You smooth your hand across his chest, well he is very muscular, you can feel that much even through his clothes.  
That are expertly tailored to his body…NO.  
He’s an elf.  
No matter how handsome you think he is, it would never work out, it couldn’t.  
Even if you wanted it to.  
And you don’t want him…it.  
“{What’s that?}” you ask pointing to a wooden jewelry box on the opposite counter.  
“{This is some of the more minor enchanted jewelry I have,}” Nöuthmir states picking it up and placing it in front of you both and then opening it up.  
There are rings, earrings, and bracelets in the various tiered drawers.  
“{Anything elemental?}” you ask, mainly because you know elemental magic has a plethora of base enchantments, but also because you want to avoid anything that could cancel out your illusion.  
Nöuthmir nods, “{These rings are fire based…}”  
You shake your head.  
“{Not among those who favor fire?}” Nöuthmir asks amused.  
“{Quite the opposite element actually,}” you state.  
Nöuthmir opens another drawer and pulls out a silvery chain and he holds it out to you. You take it and undo the clasp and slip it on, there’s a slight hum to it, but it’s nowhere near what you felt with the amulet or the key belonging to it, but it’s enough to know it’s magical.  
“{This Frost Bracelet is designed to protect the wearer from cold and you could even make it snow,}” he explains.  
“{Oh,}” you mutter disappointed.  
He did say it was minor enchantments.  
“{You don’t like it?}” Nöuthmir asks.  
You remove the bracelet and hand it back to him, “{It’s rather simple,}” you say.  
“{Hmm yes, it’s all I have on hand regarding ice, it’s not a very popular magic,}” Nöuthmir comments.  
“{I suppose not,}” you mutter.  
“{I’m afraid the only people who would be impressed by it are children, or humans, they’re basically children, right?}” Nöuthmir remarks tucking the bracelet away and closing the jewelry box.  
“{I’m sorry?}” Kandomere questions blinking a few times.  
“{Well, they’re often Enamored with this sort of parlor trick aren’t they?}” Nöuthmir continues.  
Kandomere shakes his head as he fixes his steely gaze on the other elf.  
“{I’d imagine you know what I’m referring to?}” Nöuthmir says waving at your fiancé’s gorget. You stare at the piece of metal around the blue-haired elf’s neck and your heart sinks a little.  
“{No. I don’t follow,}” Kandomere says through gritted teeth.  
The older elf seems confused, “{They’re complete imbeciles! Gawking at every glimmer of magic they see, it’s no wonder they’re aren’t any Brights among them they’re too stupid and gullible.}”  
You glare at Nöuthmir, but he doesn’t seem to notice.  
Kandomere puffs out his chest, “{That’s a load of shit! And Brights CAN be human.}”  
“{Highly Doubtful, have you ever seen one?}” Nöuthmir asks.  
You try to tug on the back of Kandomere’s vest under his jacket, but he’s too focused on Nöuthmir. Kandomere, please don’t, you silently beg.  
“{I don’t need to see them to know they exist,}” Kandomere counters.  
Whew.  
“{Then you don’t know that they’re magic users,}” Nöuthmir says.  
Kandomere’s starting to breathe heavily and it’s a little worrying, considering the last time you saw him this angry, “{Darling?}” you whisper.  
“{I know plenty more than you,}” Kandomere says.  
“{Like what?}” Nöuthmir challenges.  
“{Like who humans are, more than any other elf in this district,}” Kandomere says.  
“{I think humans are fools and so are you for being fooled by them,}” Nöuthmir says.  
“{I think they’re quite capable, intelligent, fearless, and strong. I have met many humans with Exemplary character in my line of work, it never ceases to amaze me the risks they’re willing to take for others, the sacrifices,}” Kandomere argues.  
“{Well, I think they’re adorable!}” you interrupt them both.  
Both eleven men stare at you confused.  
“{You know like dogs! The way they follow you around, and do whatever you tell them to, and all you have to do is give them a treat, and a pat on the head every now and then. And when they grow old and die, you just get a new one!}” you say.  
God, it hurt to say that.  
But you can tell from the way Nöuthmir preens in triumph that it worked.  
“{See!}” he prods.  
Kandomere’s about to go another round, when you smooth your hand over his chest and even under his jacket, “{My Love,}” you whisper, “{What time is it? We were supposed to meet your mother soon, weren’t we?}”  
Kandomere blinks and stares at you, his eyes boring deep into yours and he seems to come to his senses, “{Yes, I…let me check.}”  
He then pulls out his silver pocket watch from his vest pocket and checks the time and you notice a small picture of several elves that all bare a striking resemblance to Kandomere.  
“{It’s ten minutes until the hour we best get going if we plan to meet her for lunch,}” Kandomere says.  
“{I agree, My Love,}” you say.  
“{I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help,}” Nöuthmir says to you.  
The two male elves then glare at one another.  
You tug gently on your elf’s arm, “{Come on, Darling I don’t want to be late}.”  
Kandomere begrudgingly turns from Nöuthmir, “{We won’t be late,}” he insists.  
You both walk out of the room and Nöuthmir follows you out, closing the door behind him. And as you walk out of the shop Nöuthmir resumes his place at his desk and picks up his book.

You walk in silence with the elf for a while your left hand tucked into the cradle of his arm.  
“I didn’t like the way he talked about humans,” Kandomere says finally.  
“Did you think I liked it any better?” you demand staring up at him.  
“I also didn’t like what you said either, you didn’t have to make up something so-“ Kandomere begins.  
“I didn’t make it up,” you interrupt.  
“What?” he asks softly his brows knitting together.  
You swallow and stare forward, “Kandomere, I repeated almost verbatim what was said about me at this store I used to work at here in the elven district.”  
The elf is silent for a moment as you continue walking.  
“You used to work in the elven district? Where?” he asks.  
“Sötheria’s, as a sales associate,” you answer.  
He’s silent for another moment.  
“All the employees were required to speak fluent Övüsi, not that the elven customers ever spoke to us in anything other than English,” you continue.  
Since it was a woman’s clothing store there were plenty of bitchy, rich elven women who had fun putting you and your coworkers down on a daily basis.  
“They had said that in Övüsi to each other and even though I tapped a finger on the sign that said ‘We Speak Elvish!’ in both languages, they just looked at me and continued talking,” you continue.  
“Querida, that’s terrible,” Kandomere says forlornly.  
“There was one good thing that came out of it, it’s where I met Selina. She,” you say and gesture to yourself with your other hand, “Looked like an elf of course, but when I touched her hand to give her the bag I…knew. Instantly, that she was a Bright.”  
“You knew?” Kandomere questions.  
“You know how things in magic are connected to one another?” you ask staring up at him.  
“Yes,” he says with a nod.  
“This had never happened with any of the other elves and I’m certain there were Brights among them, but because Selina’s half…I sensed her magic and she sensed mine,” you explain.  
He tilts his head at you.  
“Not long after I met her I quit my job and she found me a better one,” you finish.  
“Querida, I’m sorry you were treated that way, but I reacted the way I did because I don’t believe you or anyone else deserves to be considered as less than,” Kandomere says.  
“Really?” you huff, your eyes getting a little watery as you glare at him and then shift your gaze to stare directly at the gorget hanging around his neck, “Then why do you wear THAT!” you exclaim.  
He blinks and stares down at it.  
“Elves Above All, Above All Elves. You think I didn’t know what it said? Do you have any idea how many elven men wear it?” you demand, feeling more than a little hurt.  
He stares at you and there’s something in his eyes you can’t quite place and so you look away from him again.  
“Did you see his face when you walked in?” you question, “He was GLAD you were wearing it, because he thinks you’re LIKE HIM. And if you were serious about what you said then you wouldn’t wear it anymore!”  
You meet the elf’s eyes again and he opens his mouth slightly and you shake your head and stare forward. Your hand is still tucked into the crook of his arm and the two of you continue through elf town in silence. You both eventually reach the meeting place where Montehugh is parked. The elf opens your door for you and you climb into the vehicle and then he seats himself next to you and you fold your hands in your lap so as to avoid touching him anymore.  
Once you’re clear of the elven district you drop the illusion and then stare at your reflection in your window.  
You gently trail your fingers over your round ears and smile at yourself.  
When you turn back in your seat, you notice Kandomere glance away from you quickly. The two of you have hardly spoken.  
Well, at least now you’re heading back to the office.

You all reach the main office area and Montehugh starts to break off from your group, “Oh, Ulysses,” Kandomere says.  
The big man turns to stare at the elf, “Yeah, Boss?”  
“I would like to see you in my office in a few minutes,” Kandomere says.  
Montehugh nods, “Sure,” and then he walks off.  
You continue forward with the elf to his office and he opens the door for you and you step inside. You walk over to his desk and set your purse down in one of the chairs. The elf rounds his desk to stand in front of you and places his hands in his pockets, “As fruitless as our ‘outing’ may have seemed, we did learn a fair amount of information.”  
You nod silently and then look around the room.  
“So what is it you need me to do now?” you ask.  
He raises an eyebrow, “When you’re not with me and Montehugh you will be assisting Agents Hernández and McTavish.”  
Thank God, you were hoping it wasn’t Davidson.  
“Alright,” you say with another nod.  
He studies you for a moment with a slight crease in his brows, “There’s a case…they’re working on that I want you to assist them with.”  
You nod again, “Very well, Sir.”  
He stares at you and wets his lips, “You don’t have to call me Sir.”  
“But you are my Boss, Sir,” you say.  
He glances down briefly and then removes his right hand from his pocket and holds it out to you and you stare silently at it. After a moment he lowers his hand and places it back in his pocket, “You know…I worry about you.”  
You stare at him and note the slight pinch in his brows, is that what that…  
“A great deal,” Kandomere says softly.  
“Your concern is dully noted, Sir,” you say.  
The elf glances down again and then removes his hand from his pocket to run his fingers through his hair and then waves a hand at the door, “Gwendolyn and Gabriela are right down the hall and I’ll be here should…you need anything.”  
You nod at him and then make your way to the door.

*******

She starts to walk towards the door when it opens and the Specialist from earlier enters. Kandomere spots her purse on the chair, “Oh, Darling, wait,” he says.  
His Bright stops and turns to stare at him, “Yes, Dear?” she answers.  
He picks up her purse and strides towards her and hands it to her.  
She gives him a small smile, “Thanks.”  
He realizes she had responded to his affectionate name for her, but…they’re not pretending to be a couple anymore. Perhaps if he used another?  
“Can I call you later?” he asks.  
She nods, “You have my number.”  
“Then we shall speak more on this later, Querida,” he says.  
She turns and leaves the room finally and as the door closes, he notices the elven woman watching her leave and her ear closest to the door twitches slightly. Kandomere knows that the woman is out of earshot and the Specialist turns to face him, “Saerthon, said that you should see this,” she says finally handing him a stack of papers. Kandomere nods and takes them from her and looks them over, “Thank you, I’ll be sure to read through your findings.”  
As he looks up at her, he notices her gaze shift to the door again.  
“You know,” she begins, “You could have simply told me that you were courting someone already.”  
Kandomere’s brows furrow at her and then he glances past her at the door.  
He wasn’t….or was he?  
He blinks rapidly and stares at the elven woman. It could just be that they were that convincing in their acting, but there has been something…more to this whole situation…  
“I wouldn’t have thought she’d be your type though,” she continues and her eyes fix on his gorget around his neck. Kandomere stares down at the gleaming gorget bearing the words, “Elves above all, Above all elves,” in perfect Övüsi and he swallows. The piece of metal weighs next to nothing for him, an elf, and yet strangely it seems far heavier than usual.  
“Yes, well she is…different. One might even say one in a million,” he smirks slightly at the last part as his eyes find the door again. He blinks and inhales and stares back at the elven woman, “A lovely woman,” he finishes.  
The Specialist lifts her head slightly and inhales and then exhales lowering it again and Kandomere frowns at her obvious scenting of him.  
“You seem to be taking your time in courting her,” she comments.  
“One must not rush courtship,” he remarks, “If her affections are to be earned, I need to put forth the time and effort to garner them.”  
Her eyebrows raise slightly, “Eloquently put, you should consider this though, much of elven tradition might be lost on her, afterall she was not raised in it.”  
“What is that supposed to mean?” Kandomere growls.  
Sensing his tone she backs off a bit, “I merely meant she might not understand or even misinterpret your intentions if they are unclear to her.”  
Kandomere glances down and then back up at her, “I do not wish to have your opinion on my love life. Especially considering you’re not involved in it, nor will you ever be.”  
She leans back slightly and wets her lips, “I have overstepped my bounds… I apologize if I have offended you, I’ll take my leave now,” and with that she turns and walks out of his office.

Kandomere lets out an exasperated sigh and puts the paperwork on his desk and sits down. He runs his hands through his hair and scratches his scalp.  
It seems he’s fucked things up today with his Bright.  
She looked so hurt talking about the gorget.  
He stares down at it, she doesn’t want him to wear it. He leans back in his chair and continues to scratch his head, moving his fingers down the back of his head towards his neck. The elf closes his eyes and lets out a soft sigh, the sensation relaxing him. He hears the door open suddenly and his eyes snap open and he spins his chair around to face the intruder.  
He sees Montehugh standing in the entrance giving him a weird look.  
“You um, wanted to see me, Boss?” Montehugh asks.  
“Yes, I did,” Kandomere says and stands.  
Montehugh steps forwards and the elf studies him for a moment.  
“Do you know what this means?” he asks placing a hand on the gorget.  
Montehugh rolls his shoulders and places his hands in his pockets and stares at it from across the room. His partner’s eyes finally drift up to the elf’s face, “It’s that Elves Above All Bullshit, right?”  
The elf’s eyes widen slightly and he removes his hand from the gorget.  
So he does know what it says.  
He stares at the man and there’s a tiredness in his shoulders, and anger in his clenched jaw, and a look of contempt in his eyes as they fix on the gorget once more. His partner has never once voiced any grievances against him for wearing it in all the time he’s known him. Although, perhaps it is because he is still his boss and he saw no point or hope in changing Kandomere’s mind.  
“Yes, it is,” Kandomere says and he notices the man’s brow furrow and he tilts his head to the side curiously. Montehugh has gotten fairly good at interrupting his gestures and tone of voice, there are still some things that confuse him, but he still feels that the man understands him better than the other humans in the MTF.  
Kandomere reaches up with one hand and unclips half of the gorget and pulls it down off his neck.  
Montehugh’s head tilts back as he watches him.  
Kandomere opens a drawer in his desk and shoves some folders and a tissue box aside and then stares at the empty space.  
How could any of the other races who work under him ever feel welcome with this symbol that they’re not, glaring them in the face. Worse, it encourages the other elves, as his Bright pointed out to him, that they’re allowed to continue these beliefs.  
Granted not all the elves who work for the MTF wear them, but it’s still a fair amount. This is no longer an ideal he wishes to romance.  
The elf stares up at Montehugh, “I’m sorry that I ever wore it,” and he drops it in the drawer, and it lands with a loud clunk.  
Montehugh stares at his desk and nods slowly, “I appreciate that.”  
The elf dips his head in response.  
And then he shuts the drawer.

*******

You wander through the desks until you spot Hernández standing near McTavish’s desk holding some files while they discuss something.  
“Like how the fuck do you hide something that big?” Hernández says with a frown.  
“You’d think they’d be ordering a truckload of beef, unless they’re starving them of course,” McTavish says while filling out a report.  
“Hey,” you call out to them and they both look over at you.  
“Hola, what brings you over here?” Hernández asks.  
“I was told to assist you in your case,” you say.  
“Perfect! We need a fresh pair of eyes,” Hernández remarks.  
McTavish nods staring at the paperwork in front of her, “We’ve been at this for weeks and we are so close to finding these assholes.”  
Hernández looks to you and shows you the files she’s holding, “It’s those gryphon smugglers.”  
“Ugh, those guys?” you mutter.  
“The thing is they’re hiding them somewhere in the city we know that much, but we’re trying to figure out where,” Hernández says.  
“Have you called any of the nearby sanctuaries to see if they’ve spotted them?” you ask.  
Hernández shakes her head, “Nah, nearest one’s like four hours away.”  
“Damn, this region is usually only their winter range,” you say, “My Aunt had a book on magical creatures and although some of the information is outdated, it does have a lot of information on what their weaknesses and strengths are.”  
“Even magical weaknesses?” McTavish asks looking up from her paperwork again.  
“Yeah, but that shouldn’t matter, as long as no one’s a Bright,” you say.  
Hernández and McTavish exchange a glance.  
“Is there a Bright?” you question.  
“That’s what the rumors say,” Hernández remarks.  
McTavish twiddles her pen, “Supposedly there’s some elf guy running the whole thing, it’s all word of mouth so far. Nobody here’s seen him.”  
“Which is strange considering we have elf agents,” Hernández says, “But that’s not the end of it, there’s also word he’s got a magic wand.”  
You stare at her in shock, “A wand? A wand, wand?”  
Hernández nods, “It’s not the fun kind.”  
“We do hunt Brights here,” McTavish says.  
“So you all want me to fight another-“ you begin.  
Hernández holds up a finger and puts it to her lips.  
“For control of a wand?” you whisper.  
“I don’t know yet if you’re going on the op with us when we do find them. But try to keep from telling everyone here who you are, not everyone needs to know,” Hernández continues.  
“The book you mentioned does sound helpful, we could probably figure out how they caught them and then cross-reference that with any info the sanctuary could give us on what it’s like to keep these animals in captivity,” McTavish says.  
“Agent McTavish?” a female voice says.  
You turn around and don’t see anyone and then you look down and spot another dwarven woman with glasses and her brown hair pulled into a bun.  
“Oh I’m sorry,” you say when you realize your standing in her way and move to the side so she can approach McTavish’s desk.  
The dwarven secretary hands McTavish some paperwork and McTavish hands her back a stack of her already completed paperwork.  
“Thank you,” the secretary says as she walks away after beaming at McTavish.  
You look around the room at the other dwarves that are working at their desks, all of them are dwarven men. Then you focus on the only other two dwarven women besides McTavish and they seem to all be in similar secretarial roles.  
“Are you the only dwarven woman who’s an agent?” you ask.  
McTavish looks up at you, “Hmm?” and then she glances around too, “Oh yeah.”  
She looks over her paperwork for a moment and then back up at you, “Where did you say that book was?”  
“I think she said it was with her Aunt?” Hernández questions looking to you.  
“Actually I think it’s still in evidence right now,” you say.  
“Why is your Aunt’s book in evidence?” Hernández asks.  
“Gabriela,” McTavish hisses quietly.  
“What?” Hernández asks turning to look at her partner.  
“Didn’t you read the case file you were handed?” McTavish questions.  
“I got partway through it, why?” Hernández asks.  
“My Aunt was a Bright who was killed…recently,” you interrupt.  
Hernández turns to you and grimaces and lets out a hiss through her clenched teeth, “Ay, I’m sorry, Muchacha, I…I didn’t know.”  
“You WOULD have if you read the case file,” McTavish grumbles under her breath.  
“So she was the?” Hernández asks.  
“Yep,” you reply.  
Hernández straightens, “How ‘bout we go get that book then? Yeah?”

You all take the elevator down and step outside and then walk across the sidewalk to one of the other nearby buildings. You haven’t been in this one yet and as you step inside, the interior seems very sterile even in the hallway with the white tile and walls. Continuing forward, you eventually go through a set of doors into a large lab with numerous people moving around and examining things on their workstations. And you notice that most of the items…belonged to Selina.  
“Yo, Saerthon!” Hernández calls out.  
There’s an exasperated sigh, “You don’t need to shout I’m right here and I have very good ears so I would appreciate it if…”  
You turn at the sound of the voice to see a pale, elven man with combed brown hair that barely reaches his shirt collar.  
He’s older than Kandomere.  
You can tell, because he’s actually starting to get wrinkles.  
“Hello,” he says his silver eyes fixed solely on you as he cautiously approaches.  
“Saerthon, don’t be weird,” Hernández warns.  
He tilts his head up and inhales and then exhales lowering it again and you frown at him.  
“You must be our ‘new consultant,’” he says.  
“STOP scenting me,” you say glaring at him.  
“Is that what that?” Hernández questions looking at you and then she turns on the elf, “Saerthon, I told you not to be weird!”  
The elf named Saerthon doesn’t seem to be listening as he studies you. He’s not wearing a jacket at the moment and your eyes drift down to the silver gorget hanging around his neck over his dark grey vest.  
“I want my Aunt’s book,” you demand.  
“Which one?” he asks, “There are quite a lot here,” he says and then gestures at the room.  
“’The Lifeblood of Magic: Volume One,” you state.  
The elf quickly moves around the room and with a gloved hand plucks it out of the middle of a stack of books without the other books moving so much as an inch. He holds it out to you and you snatch it from him.  
“I do have a few questions if you wouldn’t mind-“ he begins.  
“NO. I’m working,” you say and turn on your heel and march out of the room.

It’s not until you’re outside that the agents accompanying you speak up.  
“So do all elves do that?” Hernández asks mimicking the gesture by inhaling and exhaling.  
“Yes, actually,” you reply.  
“I’ve noticed the boss does it too,” McTavish says.  
“He’s definitely done it. Been seeing him do it a lot lately now that I think about it,” you muse.  
“Maybe, he just likes the way you smell,” Hernández jokes.  
“I doubt it, I’m not even wearing my expensive perfume,” you say, “No, it’s usually just a way to get a clearer read on someone. To know if they’re afraid or sad,” you explain.  
“Do they typically smell each other?” McTavish asks.  
“Yeah, well smell is very important to them,” you say.  
Once you situate yourselves back in the office McTavish calls the sanctuary and you find the chapter on gryphons and you all go back and forth jotting down information. McTavish translates the Dwarvish for you and Hernández writes it down and at the end of the day you’re much closer than you were when you started.  
“We’ll have to check some of these locations out, see if there’s anything shady going on, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Hernández says.  
You and McTavish gather up your things while Hernández heads to Kandomere’s office. She returns shortly and you all take the elevator back down to the ground floor and then out to the parking lot and climb into the SUV. 

“Hey, do you mind if we stop at the grocery store before you take me home?” you ask, “I’m not really allowed to go by myself.”  
And you don’t have a car anymore.  
“Sure,” Hernández replies.  
You all go to the grocery store together and use the last couple hundred dollars you have to pay for it all and you stock up on everything. You’re a bit hungry since you haven’t eaten supper yet so you do buy a few things just because they look good. You even buy a whole raw chicken, because you’re eager to start cooking again.  
It’s also super helpful that you have two people to help you carry everything and an SUV to put it in. This would have taken forever if you had to walk and when you get home the agents help carry everything up to your apartment and you say hello to Torva and Frank when you pass them in the hall, it looks like they’re headed to another Fogteeth party.  
“Thank you so much this would have taken forever if I had to do it by myself,” you say.  
“De nada,” Hernández says.  
McTavish is silent as she sets the new gallon of milk and other cold foods into the refrigerator. You stare at her and notice a frown on her face and then she picks up the old milk container and shakes it and makes a disgruntled sound.  
“You really did need a trip to the store,” McTavish says, “How long have you been out of food?” she asks and fixes you with a look of concern.  
“Um…not long,” you reply.  
Which is partly the truth, you still had some food, it was just the same thing over and over again. Hernández continues putting food up in the cabinets and she moves aside the cereal and then stops and she picks it up and pulls the near empty bag out.  
“Gwen,” Hernández says holding up the bag.  
The dwarven woman places her hands on her hips and glares at you.  
“I have a lasagna in there if you didn’t notice,” you offer.  
“I noticed,” she replies and closes the refrigerator door.  
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” you say.  
Hernández slams the cabinet door shut and glares at you too, “She’s not fine, Gwen,” and then she marches out of your kitchen with the dwarven woman in tow. You realize quickly that they’re headed to your bedroom, “No, wait!”  
Hernández opens your door and removes a flashlight from her pocket and shines it into your room as you walk up behind them. McTavish silently scans the room and then Hernández says something in Dwarvish to her, and she nods and then Hernández shuts the door. They both turn to you and McTavish fixes you with a stern look, “Kitchen, now!” she orders.  
You step back through the living room and into the kitchen and when she enters she hands you a potato, “Wash and slice enough of theses to fill this pan,” she says as she pulls down a roaster pan from one of the cabinets.  
“Gabriela, find me the spices,” McTavish says.  
“What are you doing?” you ask.  
“Making a traditional Dwarven dish, now wash these potatoes,” McTavish continues.  
Hernández cuts up other vegetables while McTavish mixes seasoning and makes a rub for the chicken you got earlier.  
When she finally puts it in the oven she sets a timer on her phone, “Alright, it should be done in about an hour.”  
“Wait, what time is it?” Hernández asks and then she checks her phone, “Ah, shit! Can I order something on your tv?”  
“Uh, yeah, sure,” you say and she races off to your living room.  
You follow her and she’s rapidly going through the channels and finds ESPN and selects it and quickly starts to order something.  
McTavish follows you out into the living room, “What’s she doing?” you ask.  
“Oh it’s fight night,” McTavish says.  
Hernández is focused intently on the tv, “My girl’s outta town visiting her mom and I don’t have enough time to get home.”  
“Yes!” Hernández exclaims as it finally loads and it comes on.  
She quickly finds a seat on the couch and starts yelling in Spanish at the tv. McTavish sits down on the couch too and you sit down next to her.  
“She’s really into fighting huh?” you ask.  
“Yeah, her whole family is,” McTavish says, “Oh Come on!” she shouts now watching the fight too.  
“What about your family won’t they miss you tonight?” you ask.  
“Huh? Oh my little girl’s at a sleepover and Patrick will probably be in bed soon. Besides, I already texted him to let him know that I’m helping a friend,” McTavish says.  
You stare at her, “Friend?”  
She glances back at you, “Well, yeah,” she says shrugging her shoulders, “You’re not so bad for a Bright.”  
You smile and turn your attention to the tv as well.

After the food is done you all sit in front of the tv and eat your meal while Hernández continues to critique the fighting in Spanish.  
“Hey, do you mind if take a small container home with me for Patrick? I’d hate for him to miss my cooking,” McTavish asks.  
“Sure, it’s the least I could do,” you say.  
“I could do that!” Hernández says to McTavish while gesturing at the tv.  
“I think you have done that,” McTavish remarks.  
“Oh yeah,” Hernández says with a smile.  
“Hey, Hernández,” you say.  
“Oh just call me, Gabriela,” Hernández says.  
“Oh, Gabriela, could you translate something for me?” you ask, “I think the word was Qayrita?”  
She stares at you and frowns, “I think you mean Querida.”  
“That was it,” you say, “I knew I misheard it.”  
She smiles, “Who called you that?”  
“What? No one,” you lie.  
Hernández shakes her head and swallows a bite of food, “It’s an affectionate pet name, it means Dear, the feminine form of course.”  
“Oh,” you mutter and think back on all the times today Kandomere called you that and then the first time, here in your apartment, alone…  
“You didn’t answer my question,” Hernández says.  
“What question?” you ask as you try to chase away the thoughts of Kandomere.  
“Who called you that?” Hernández asks with a smirk, “Was it Kandomere?”  
“Why would he call her….” McTavish trails off and then looks at your flushed face, “Oh my…did he?”  
“I…maybe,” you say.  
“Ha! I knew it!” Hernández exclaims, “The elf’s got a soft spot for you.”  
“No, I doubt that. Besides, I’m not his type,” you mutter pushing your remaining food around on your plate.  
“Because you’re not an elf?” McTavish questions.  
“Well, yeah,” you say.  
There’s an announcement on the tv about a fighter named Blue Carnage entering the ring. And you all turn to see an orc man with his choice of music blaring on the speakers.  
“Ah, I’ve been waiting for this rematch!” Hernández exclaims.  
“There’s an orc fighter?” you ask.  
“Yeah and he’s finally back for a rematch, he got knocked out the last time,” Hernández says.  
The orc reaches the arena and then steps onto the scale to weigh in.  
“I hope he wins this time,” McTavish says.  
An older orcish woman you presume to be his mother approaches Blue Carnage and says something to him and then kisses the top of his head. He then steps into the ring with his opponent and then the fight begins.  
The human fighter named Browne strikes at him immediately and the orc manages to bring his hand up to deflect it, but Browne doesn’t let up instead he keeps coming.  
“That’s what got him last time,” Hernández says.  
“Wait, he didn’t even make it past the first round?” you ask.  
Hernández shakes her head and you watch as Blue Carnage attempts to swing at him but Browne easily dodges and backs up making the orc follow him. The whole first round continues like this with the human landing blows and the orc only getting a couple hits before the human gets out of his reach again.  
“He’s trying to wear him out,” McTavish grumbles.  
The second round starts and the orc lands a few blows and almost gets the man in a grapple but he worms out of it.  
“UGH! If he could just get his hands on him!” Hernández exclaims and then mutters something under her breath in Spanish.  
Browne keeps up the pressure by hammering him with blows until Blue Carnage finally manages to knock him loose. When the second round ends the fighters return to their corners and they start wipe the blood off of Blue Carnage’s face.  
“That looks bad,” you say.  
“It’s actually not, they’re just cuts, nothing too deep it looks like,” McTavish says, “It only looks bad cause it’s swollen.”  
“Really hoping he gets this guy, he’s been hanging in there so far,” Hernández says.  
The third round begins and Browne starts wailing on him again, Blue Carnage keeps his hands up and knocks a couple aside and when the human goes in again he grabs a hold of him.  
“OH SHIT!” Hernández exclaims and stands up.  
The man tries to wriggle free of the grapple, but the orc holds him tight and keeps him grappled.  
“Is he gonna do it?” McTavish whispers enraptured.  
The guy struggles to get free and then see you him pat the orc’s arm repeatedly and the ref calls it and breaks them up.  
You stand too and shout with the others, “HE DID IT!!”  
“Gracias Dios,” Hernández says putting her hands together.  
After another few moments they name Blue Carnage the victor.

You turn off the tv and hand McTavish a container and she scoops some food into it to take home. You all say your goodbyes and then you clean up the kitchen and get dressed for bed, you take a moment and stare into your bedroom and then sigh and head to the couch. Your phone starts to vibrate on the table and you pick it up and see Kandomere’s name displayed on the screen.  
“Hello?” you answer.  
“Hello,” Kandomere responds.  
“What is it, Sir?” you ask.  
“…You said I could call you? And please you don’t need to call me Sir,” Kandomere says.  
You sigh, “Is this work related?”  
“Yes…and no,” he says.  
“I’ll need you to come in Monday, I’ll send Hernández to pick you up again. And I apologize for not alerting you before,” he continues.  
You’re silent for a moment.  
There’s a slight sound of his breathing as he waits for you to say something, “…I’m sorry. For earlier.”  
Your eyes get a little watery and you take a few breaths.  
“Are…Are you alright?” he asks.  
“I’ll be fine,” you reply.  
“How did you sleep last night?” he asks.  
“I…actually slept pretty good,” you say.  
“That’s good,” Kandomere says and then he lets out a sigh, “I suppose this is goodbye.”  
“Goodnight, Kandomere,” you say.  
There’s a small huff of breath and you’re sure that he’s smiling, “Goodnight, sleep well my Dear and if not…you need only call me and I’ll be there.”  
You hang up the phone and ponder the elf’s words and then you wipe at your eyes and settle onto the couch once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French Translation: “You speak French?” you ask.  
> “Yes,” he replies.  
> “How many languages do you know?” you ask.  
> “Quite a lot actually,” he says.  
> “I'll have to ask you about that later then, Sir,” you say with a smile.


	10. The Northern Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Mentions of Death
> 
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}
> 
> Additional Note: [Mystery Language is in these brackets]

You’re getting ready for work, when there’s a knock on your door and you go to answer it, but opening the door instead of Hernandez, you’re met with Montehugh and Kandomere.  
“Can we come in for a sec?” Montehugh asks.  
“Of course,” you say and usher them inside.  
They step inside and you shut the door behind them, “What is it?” you ask.  
They’re both silent for a moment.  
“What’s wrong?” you question.  
There has to be some sort of trouble for both of them to be here.  
“The Northern Light has landed in L.A.” Montehugh states.  
Your eyes widen in shock, “What?! Where?”   
“In the elven district, in one of the large gardens,” Kandomere says.  
“Is she still there?” you ask hesitantly.  
Montehugh nods.  
“And you want me to do something about it?” you ask.  
Kandomere inhales, “You have been specifically requested to be present during the talks by one of the…higher ups in the Magic Task Force.”  
“Me? Talks? So is she just…sitting there? Waiting?” you ask.  
“Pretty much. She’s been there since early this morning, just patiently waiting for someone to come out to meet her,” Montehugh explains.  
“So just to clarify, this isn’t like what happened with Angelo?” you question.  
“No, she has come here peacefully though not many are enthused by her presence,” Kandomere says.  
“You being there would make things go a lot smoother, otherwise those politicians aren’t gonna go anywhere near her,” Montehugh adds.  
“And I’m sure we would all rather not test a dragon’s patience,” Kandomere continues.  
“Alright, it’s not exactly how I wanted to spend my day, but I guess I don’t have much a choice,” you say grabbing your purse and slipping on your shoes.  
You’re wearing a white midi dress with blue and pink flowers across it and a pair of lace-patterned flats. When you finish putting on your shoes and look up at the elf you see confliction in his face that mirrors the look you saw before with Angelo.  
“I am sorry, Querida, were it up to me you would not be the one to do this,” Kandomere says.  
You pause, there’s that word again.  
Querida.  
Does he really mean it?  
It’s not just some word he’s throwing around, right?  
You take a breath, “I suppose we shouldn’t keep her waiting. We have a job to do afterall.”  
“I will be beside you the whole time,” Kandomere says softly taking your hand, “As will Montehugh.”  
You nod and then follow them both out of your apartment and then down to the car. You nervously wring your hands together as you stare out your window and inch closer to the elven district. When you reach the block that houses one of the larger botanical gardens you step out of the car and stare up at the buildings surrounding it. There’s more than enough open air space for something as large as a dragon to fly down and land…somewhere…nearby. 

You follow between Montehugh and Kandomere as they lead you towards the entrance where a number of other people are gathered. There are MTF agents of course decked out in full gear and in the middle of them is a human man in a suit, and three very old elves. The three of you approach them as they all seem in to be in a heated discussion.   
“In my day there wouldn’t have been a meeting at all,” one of the elven men says.  
“Agreed, as far as I’m concerned she’s complicit in her mate’s actions,” the other elven man wearing a bowtie says.  
“That’s hardly fair, Frotovir, she could’ve just as easily been caught unawares as we were,” the elven woman says.  
“Yes, I agree Moiranith, and isn’t that why we’re here to hear HER side of the story?” the human man asks, who now as you get closer, you recognize to be Mayor Mike Contreras.  
And the elves are members of the city council.  
“I thought we were here to hear her demands?” Frotovir asks.  
“All I’m saying is we would have run BOTH of them OFF!” the first elven man says.  
The Mayor seems exasperated with his counterpart, “Yes, well, Guthron, this isn’t back in the day, and in today’s world we try and hear everyone’s side and then decide on the information we’re given what to do next.”  
“They have both been living here peacefully for years! We owe it to them to at least hear what they have to say for themselves for this betrayal,” Moiranith says.  
Guthron seems disgruntled with the way the conversation is going, but Moiranith holds up her hand, “It seems we have company.”  
The Mayor turns around and takes in your group, “Ah you must the Special Agent I was told about,” he says as he extends his hand to Kandomere.  
“Yes,” Kandomere says and extends his own hand and shakes it firmly.  
“Kannomire? Was it?” the Mayor asks.  
Kandomere lifts his head slightly and then sighs, “Kandomere.”  
“Ah yes, my apologies,” the Mayor says.  
Some of the elves behind him roll their eyes.  
The Mayor nods at Montehugh and then he stares at you curiously, “Are you an agent as well? You seem to be different…”  
Kandomere steps forwards and puts a hand out in front of you, “This is an expert on dragons that we brought to…aid if necessary in the meeting with The Northern Light.”  
He nods, “Very well then.”  
You look at the elves past him and the elven woman and one of the elven men are looking at Kandomere askance like they don’t quite believe his explanation. You are at least a little relieved to know that the city’s leaders don’t know you’re a Bright.   
“Now, that we’re all here we can begin,” Moiranith says.  
Some of the MTF agents go first while the others hang behind he group forming the familiar pattern that Montehugh and Kandomere always do with you. You realize now that it’s a protective position and that they’ve been protective of you…this whole time.   
Even though you’re a Bright.  
You look to either side of you at the agents and notice that Kandomere has placed himself between you and the other elves. You then glance around you at the beautiful gardens, there are tall, green trees that are definitely not native to the region, colorful flowers in perfectly manicured rows, and you can hear birds singing as they dart between the trees above you. It’s gorgeous and oddly serene, considering you’re all moving towards a large, fire-breathing dragon. You had never really thought to come here before with all the times you’ve visited this district.   
You wish the first time seeing it was under better circumstances.  
All of you walk across a wooden bridge over a gentle stream and you can see koi fish swimming in the water beneath you. It’s a stark contrast to the rest of the city, but then again so is the rest of the elven district, this is just one of the only parts that embraces nature like what elves used to be known for. 

Finally all of you exit the tree line and enter a golden field that sits at about knee height.   
And that’s when you see her.   
The Northern Light.  
In the middle of the large field the dragon watches you all approach as she rests calmly with her forelimbs crossed over one another. Over the top half of her body are blue almost teal scales and her underside including her bottom jaw are covered in snowy, white scales. But the tops of her forelimbs, the edges of her wings, and the tip of her tail are a crimson red.   
She leisurely reclines on the grass as she waits patiently for your group to come near, her wings calmly folded at her sides. Her ivory horns are long and twisted and they dip down and then arc back up at the points. The MTF agents spread out around her in a defensive position, but she pays them no heed. Her golden eyes are focused solely on the city’s leaders as they apprehensively close the distance.   
Your group finally stops close enough that everyone doesn’t need to crane their necks directly upward to look at her. It’s this close that you realize something.   
She’s the biggest dragon you’ve seen so far.  
She’s at least twenty-five percent bigger than her mate, in fact.  
She shifts and you can hear the movement of the scales from her body and the ground beneath her shift from her weight, “Thank you all for meeting me here. I know that you no longer fully trust me,” The Northern Light says.  
“And why should we?!” Guthron demands.  
“You think you can just barge in here unannounced?” Frotovir questions.  
“What my compatriots here are trying to say is, it is too much to ask for our trust at this juncture,” the Mayor says.  
“I am not asking for your trust, that is not why I am here,” she replies.  
“Then why are you here? What is it you seek?” Moiranith asks.  
“For us to come to an arrangement,” The Northern Light states.  
“If that arrangement means you leave this region, then I think I can agree to that,” Guthron says.  
“I will not abandon my unborn children,” the dragon responds.  
“Then what will you do?” Frotovir asks.  
“Please, The Northern Light has come here to talk civilly, and asking her to forgo her role as a mother is not very civil,” the Mayor remarks.  
“Agreed,” Moiranith says, “And it’s barbaric.”  
“Then she should take them with her!” Guthron continues, “The less dragons the better!”  
“When did you lay them?” you ask suddenly.  
Everyone seems startled to hear you speak and the dragon’s golden eyes shift to you, “Four months ago,” she replies.  
You turn to the group who is now staring at you, “Dragon eggs need to be kept warm with their parents’ firebreath and after two months, obsidian formed at the base of the eggs has solidified them in place.”  
You neglect to mention that there’s also diamond formed in the process.  
“So she can’t move them?” the Mayor asks.  
You nod, “It would kill them.”  
The dragon’s golden eyes regard you for a moment and then her eyes slowly shift back to the others. You exhale quietly, and feel Kandomere’s arm press against your left arm. You go to move your arm away from his, but he follows you and presses his arm firmer against yours. You turn your head to the left towards the Mayor who is now focused on the dragon again and your eyes shift to the blue-haired elf beside you. He has his hands in his pockets and he’s not looking at you, but you realize that he’s trying to comfort you.   
It’s the only gesture he can offer under the circumstances and you lean into him.  
“What sort of arrangement did you have in mind?” Moiranith asks, “What is it that you have come here to ask of us?”  
“My mate and I have not been able to hunt in a week. My children require constant heat now, as has been stated,” her head turns to you slightly, “Heat that cannot be given if my mate and I are starving. One of us must hunt in the sea, so I ask that you let it be me,” she finishes turning her head back to them.  
“Where is your mate? Hmm? Why are we not speaking to him instead?” Guthron asks.  
“He is in our nest, our home, tending to our children,” The Northern Light says.  
“A little role reversal then?” the Mayor asks.  
The Northern Light pauses, “No?”  
She seems confused by his words and you wonder if you should tell him that both dragon parents take turns raising the children and protecting their territory.  
“I…nevermind,” the Mayor says.  
“We do not want you near the city,” Frotovir says.  
“I’m not asking to go near the city, I can go around it. It will take more time,” she says glancing to the side, “But it can be done.”  
“And what about the lives that were lost?” Moiranith questions, “What do you have to say for Angelo’s actions.”  
The Northern Light blinks and you recognize the look in her eyes as the same Angelo had. She closes her eyes and dips her horned head for a moment and then raises it again, “There is nothing I can do to bring back the dead. And there are…no words that I could say to ease the broken hearts of their families.”  
She takes a breath and everyone takes a step back instinctively except you and the two agents beside you.   
“So you care nothing for the children that were slain?!” Guthron demands, “But then again I’m sure you with your happy family wouldn’t understand the loss of a child has on a parent.”  
The dragon’s eyes start to cast a golden glow as her pupils shrink and you know that she’s really pissed. Because it’s more or less the same look Selina had sometimes.  
“You think…that I don’t…know,” she begins with much restraint, “What it’s like to lose a child? You have no idea about my past. How hard I have worked to get to this point,” she pauses to exhale carefully, “HAVE YOU EVER LOST A CHILD?”  
Guthron looks incredibly nervous, “I…no.”  
“Because I have,” she says and she swallows, “I have had many infertile clutches, and when I finally did lay a clutch that was fertile? That was alive? They were taken from me,” she hisses her head drawing closer to him, “By a pack of wyverns…they tore them apart as they were hatching, they barely even had a chance to open their eyes. So do not pretend that you care about children, you old fool.”  
The elven man swallows and the dragon’s head draws back and she closes her eyes and when she opens them there’s a slight bit of steam rising from her eyes. You give her a sympathetic look and there’s a slight shift of her eyes in your direction and then it immediately shifts back to the Council elves and the Mayor.  
“I do extend my and my mate’s deepest regrets and sorrow,” the dragon says, “Which is why I wish to do something to help provide for the families.”  
“Such as?” the Mayor prompts.  
“Not to be rude, but what is it you could provide them? Words of comfort?” Moiranith asks.  
“Our voices are the last they would wish to hear,” The Northern Light says, “No, I mean to give them gold. A small piece of our horde.”  
Staring over at the politicians you watch them all glance between one another in a hushed excitement. Dragon gold is quite coveted and quite rare. And you can tell that it’s the best news they’ve heard all day.  
“Well, I’m sure that it will more than cover the damages done to-“ Frotovir begins.  
“It is NOT FOR YOU,” the dragon’s voice bellows and the elven man quiets.  
“It is FOR the loved ones of those that died and the wounded who survived so that they may continue on without their future survival being threatened.”  
“That’s very noble of you, but we have this thing called ‘taxes’ that have been around in this country for more than a couple hundred years. Living in your cave I’m sure you’re unfamiliar with it. And unfortunately there will be a great deal taken away from them by the government with how much gold is worth nowadays,” the Mayor says.  
The Northern Light literally rolls her eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh her hot breath blowing past all of you, “Aren’t ‘taxes’ the very thing that made your country revolt against the last one? And just because I live in the mountains doesn’t mean I don’t know how things are run down here. What’s next? Are you going to explain to me how voting works? Or indoor plumbing? I am nearly six hundred years old I don’t need your ‘words of wisdom.’”  
The mayor looks a little alarmed and flabbergasted and Moiranith sighs and steps forwards, “Then as one six hundred year old to another how do you plan to ensure they get all the treasure?”  
“Is there not a law that was established during World War II where upon any dragon providing relief to any town or CITY may be tax free by the U.S. government?” The Northern Light questions.  
The politicians all look at each other startled and Moiranith wrings her hands together, “She is correct, the gold is to go first to those most deeply affected and then to any reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure.”  
“But it’s not World War II anymore!” Guthron protests.  
“No, but it’s still on the books and has been utilized since, granted often in more rural communities but,” the Mayor says.  
“But it is a federal law, one we must uphold,” Moiranith finishes.  
The dragon nods.  
The politicians all exchange a few glances they seem to be unhappy about not getting the gold and after a moment the Mayor steps towards the dragon.  
“Alright we will allow you to drop off the gold, but I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we don’t want it to be inside the city,” the Mayor says.  
“Fine, then outside of it,” the dragon sighs.  
“And give the city a wide berth should you need to fly past it,” Frotovir adds.  
“Of…course,” The Northern Light says reluctantly.  
They all spend the next couple minutes working out the details on where the drop off should be. And Kandomere chimes in to reassure everyone that the MTF will handle it from there and even bring in an expert to properly determine the worth of the gold. When they all seem somewhat satisfied with their compromise the politicians are the first to leave the clearing with the armored MTF agents to escort them safely out. 

And it leaves just the three of you alone with The Northern Light.  
And her golden eyes shift from the edge of the clearing to you.   
And only you.  
“Come on-“ Montehugh begins.  
“Wait,” she speaks softly.  
And everyone stops and looks up at her.  
“You’re the one aren’t you?” she asks, “The one who saved my mate?”  
You nod silently.  
“Thank you,” she says and her head moves forwards as she lowers her head almost to the ground in front of you, “Thank you for saving my mate and the father of my children, thank you for returning him to me.”  
The two agents maintain their positions beside you, but you notice they glance between each other and then back at the dragon.  
“He was fighting another dragon,” you begin, “Before…”  
“Yes, I know. My mate and I can still smell him across our territory, but he is long gone,” The Northern Light says.  
“Gone? Gone where?” you question.  
“We suspect he fled to Europe,” she states.  
Montehugh throws up a hand, “Of course where the fuck else would he go?!”  
“Be careful, Little Ones,” she warns, “For we also believe him to be the Scourge of Europe and the slayer of The Everburning Emerald.”  
Your vision shifts suddenly and you’re no longer surrounded by a golden field, but an emerald one. You begin to hear heavy footsteps and knowing what’s happening you try and focus your vision back to reality not enough to break it but just enough to…there!  
You now have a sort of double-vision going on where you can see not only the dragon in front of you but also the field near the forest. The green dragon steps out into the meadow and then turns in your direction and as she opens her mouth to speak, you focus on her words.   
And you repeat them.  
Then the dragon flies off once more towards the mountain and the vision ends and this time you are jarred back to your senses and Kandomere grabs a hold of your arms and steadies you before you topple forwards. As you stare up at him you feel him brush the hair out of your face and you’re vaguely aware that he’s cupping your cheek.  
“What?” you begin.  
“I said are you alright?” he asks.  
You stare into his silver eyes and focus on him to help ground you.  
“I’m fine,” you manage quietly, as you now realize you’re in his arms.  
“You don’t look fine,” he mutters and you notice how concerned the elf looks.  
You turn your attention back to the dragon, “What did I just say?”  
She’s staring intently at you and then her eyes shift to the side for a moment and then back to you, “If it is a new amulet you need then I will help you forge another. Then mayhaps together we can end his reign of terror.”  
When she finishes speaking it instantly clicks in your brain that of course that’s what the dragon said!  
“[A amulet,]” you whisper.  
The spines on The Northern Light’s body puff out and she starts to say something to you in Draconic, but the only word you understand is the word “you.”  
The dragon studies you for a moment, “I suppose not then.”  
“What did you say?” you question.  
“I asked you if you could understand me,” she says.  
“I only understood the word ‘you,’” you say.  
“This amulet wouldn’t happen to be The Amulet of the Dragon?” she asks.  
You glance at the two agents and Kandomere nods and then you nod at the dragon.  
“Oh dear, did you wear it?” The Northern Light questions.  
“No, I only touched the lockbox holding it,” you state.  
“Hm,” she muses, “It seems that was enough.”  
You shake your head, “Enough for what? What’s happening to me?”  
“The amulet has imprinted on you, it’s attempting to call you to it,” she explains.  
“Imprinted?” you question.  
“There are many different ways a magic item can belong to someone, are you familiar with them?” she asks.  
“Uh…” you mutter trying to remember, “Binding spells are the most common, but they’re also only used for more powerful items. Then there’s ownership through forging an item, and also right of conquest where you kill the previous owner for it.”  
“And a lesser known and often more rare way of claiming an item is by it ‘claiming’ you,” The Northern Light explains.  
You ponder her words.  
“It…WANTS me to use it?” you ask horrified.  
She nods solemnly.  
“Why?” you look to Kandomere and Montehugh whose faces are grim, “Why me?” you demand staring back at the dragon.  
She sighs, “I don’t know…perhaps it has to do with who you are.”  
“I…how do I MAKE IT STOP?!” you demand distraught.  
Kandomere pulls your back to his chest and grips your upper arms firmly and leans down next to your ear, “Shh we’ll figure something out, you’ll be alright,” he soothes.  
The Northern Light fixes you with a sympathetic look and raises her head, “I wish I knew more about the forging of the amulet.”  
“Is there anything else you know? What was the name of that dragon again? The Scourge of Europe?” Montehugh questions.  
“That was only one of his names, the name most knew him by was The Darkest Shadow,” The Northern Light says.  
You blink and there’s an image of the grey and blue dragon soaring through the night sky as he banks back in your direction and swoops in low, and then there’s another image of him standing in front of you with houses set ablaze with blue flame. The dragon opens his mouth and more blue flame rises up from the back of his throat and illuminates a much smaller figure dressed in robes that swirl around them as the figure outstretches a hand. And in their hand you vaguely make out a small item as they thrust it outward and there’s a green flash of light…and you remember an image carved on the lockbox of a figure holding something out to…a dragon. Your mind rapidly fills with several other images none of which you can clearly make out and you squeeze your eyes shut and hold your head in your hands.  
And then everything calms and you open your eyes.  
You feel something holding you really tight against your midsection and look down to see the elf’s arms and turn your head to stare at him.   
“It happened again,” you mutter weakly.  
“What happened?” he asks shaking his head.  
“Some sort of vision…” you answer.  
Kandomere looks to Montehugh.  
“We should get her outta here,” Montehugh says.  
“I agree,” Kandomere says.  
You stare up at the blue and white dragon and she tilts her head at you concerned, “I’m sorry I do not know more to help you.”  
“It’s alright…” you mumble.  
“Thank you for your help,” Kandomere says to The Northern Light and then he turns to you, “I think you need to rest.”  
You nod and he adjusts his grip and loops your left arm around his waist and you lean heavily into his side.  
“Goodbye, The Northern Light,” you say looking back at the dragon.  
She smiles at you the corners of her mouth turning up, “Aurora.”  
You smile back at her and the three of you begin to make your way to the edge of the clearing finally. As you walk leaning on the elf you reach your right hand out and run your hand along the golden grass and you realize that it’s not grass…it’s wheat.

*******

Kandomere reaches the car and Montehugh climbs into the driver’s seat. The elf opens the back passenger door for the woman and she just stares at the car.   
“Hey,” he says softly massaging her upper arm, “We’re going to get through this together.”  
She nods slowly, “Okay.”  
“I made a promise remember?” he asks.  
She stares up at him and smiles at him gently, “I remember, Kandomere Dear.”  
Her smile eases his heart a little.  
He then lifts her hand to his lips and presses a kiss to her delicate skin and there’s a light blush that colors her cheeks, one that increases as he then drags his lips lightly across her hand and towards her arm.  
“Kandomere!” a voice calls.  
Kandomere stops and presses one final kiss to her hand and then glances behind him at one of the Council elves approaching him and sighs softly.  
“Wait in the car,” he says.  
She stares at the older elf and then at Kandomere again.  
“I’ll only be a moment,” Kandomere promises.  
She nods and then climbs into the car and he shuts her door. Kandomere then straightens his jacket and strides over to meet the elf.   
“Yes?” Kandomere inquires politely.  
“Do you think the MTF is prepared should anything more happen with the dragons?” Frotovir asks.  
“We are making preparations as we speak,” Kandomere states.  
“Ah yes but what about-“ Frotovir begins.  
“And we have help from the National Guard coming soon, so should if it come to that…we’ll be ready,” Kandomere continues.  
“Good, good,” Frotovir mutters clasping his hands together.  
Then the much older elf squints at Kandomere, “I notice you’re not wearing your gorget is there a reason for that?”  
Right, he has met this particular elf on a couple of occasions prior to today.  
Kandomere raises an eyebrow at him and he avoids looking back in the direction of the car. He can’t hear either of them breathing through the car doors, but he can hear Montehugh searching through the radio stations.   
He smiles inwardly, but his face remains neutral.  
“I thought it would be in poor taste to wear it,” Kandomere remarks.  
“Ah yes, The Northern Light might not have appreciated it,” Frotovir says nodding to himself.   
Kandomere isn’t sure whether or not he truly misunderstood him or deliberately is refusing to acknowledge it, especially considering the entire council had gorgets.  
“Yes, she would not have appreciated it,” Kandomere says.  
“Well, I’ll leave you to your work then, I’m sure there’s much to do,” Frotovir says and then he wanders off.  
Kandomere shakes his head and then returns to the car.  
They all wait until they hear the weight of something hitting the ground and feel the tremors shake the car. Fortunately this time the dragon is far enough away to avoid setting off the car alarms in their vicinity though he can hear some in the distance. After another moment he watches the primarily blue and white dragon quickly gaining altitude.  
“Alright, we see her. Time to move out,” Montehugh says to the agent on the other end of the phone.  
“I’ll mobilize the teams on my end,” Agent Murphy says.  
Montehugh hangs up the phone and pulls the car out onto the road and heads back in the direction of the office. They mostly sit in silence with music playing quietly on the radio. Kandomere stares out the window and notices a large mural of Angelo painted over one of the buildings as they pass, but it seems it’s been added to recently…  
“Kandomere?” she asks.  
“Yes?” he responds.  
“You speak Spanish, right?” she asks.  
He inhales, “I do.”  
“What does Ángel de la Muerte mean?” she asks.  
“Angel of Death,” Kandomere answers.  
The mural of Angelo has his eyes crossed out in red with the words spray-painted over the name “The L.A. Dragon.” And as they move further down the street there is similar graffiti written all along the walls written in English, Spanish, and Bodzvokhan. All of which call the dragon far worse things, but he refrains from repeating them in a lady’s presence. The elf turns in his seat and stares at her and he can tell that she’s still upset and she notices him staring and tries to compose herself.   
Doesn’t she realize that she doesn’t need to pretend to be strong around him?  
He’ll have to assure her that it’s okay to not be strong all the time.  
He’ll have to assure her.

They make it back to the main building and Kandomere ushers her into his office and she sits down on the couch and wraps her arms around herself. Kandomere shuts his door and removes his coat and drapes it over her shoulders as he sits down next to her.  
“What are we going to do?” she asks and tears begin to well up in her eyes.  
“Shh,” he quiets as he places his hand on her right cheek and wraps his other around her and pulls her close.  
“We’ll go talk to Saerthon, he’s our resident arcane researcher, it’s possible he knows more about what’s happening to you and how we can stop it,” he whispers.  
A tear slips free from her eye and he thumbs it away.  
She closes her eyes and then opens them again and takes a deep breath.  
She looks exhausted.  
She’s teetering just a little in fact.  
He glances at his jacket, “You know I always keep some chocolate on hand.”  
Her eyes light up and she digs through the inner jacket pockets until she finds the unopened chocolate bar and tears into it. She pops off a square and eats it and her body sags and she moans softly in delight.  
Kandomere swallows the sound she made is…definitely doing it for him.  
No, that’s hardly appropriate right now.  
Especially seeing as she is in such dire straits.  
She opens her eyes and breaks off a few squares and hands them to Kandomere.  
“I think you need it more than me, Darling,” he says.  
“I’m not going to eat the whole thing and it was yours to begin with,” she says.  
Kandomere smiles and takes the chocolate and pops it into his mouth. The milk chocolate filled with caramel melts in his mouth and he hums in enjoyment. The woman stiffens in his arms and gives him a sidelong glance.  
And then she leans into him.  
He’s caught off guard for a moment and then he slowly rests his head against hers and they sit in relative silence as she munches on the chocolate.  
He buries his nose in her hair and inhales her scent.  
Nothing seems to have changed, but the amulet still has a hold on her or at least is attempting to. A worrying ache grips his heart and he inhales her scent again and her close proximity calms him somewhat.  
Somewhat because he senses her worry as well, as it hangs over her like a cloud.  
The door opens suddenly and Kandomere’s head snaps up and he sees Montehugh enter. He was so preoccupied with her, he hadn’t noticed the man’s heavy footsteps. His partner looks from Kandomere to the woman as she belatedly lifts her head to stare at Montehugh.   
Montehugh raises an eyebrow at the elf, “We got a meeting in five minutes with one of the big bosses, he wants a rundown on what happened this morning with The Northern Light.”  
Shit.   
Of course.  
He starts to stand up and then looks to the woman seated next to him, “Does she need to be there?”  
Montehugh frowns, “Nobody said nothing about it so I would assume not.”  
He releases her and stands up, “Just wait here, I’ll be back.”  
She nods.  
“It’s probably best she stays here anyhow,” Montehugh says quietly to the elf as Kandomere moves to join him.  
“Hold up, Princess,” Montehugh says putting up a hand and Kandomere turns around and sees the woman standing up.  
“Stay here,” Montehugh insists.  
She looks back down at the couch and despite the fact she hardly moved from the couch she almost topples over when she tries to sit down again. Kandomere swiftly moves to her side and helps her sit down again.   
“I think maybe I should get some rest…is it okay if-“ she begins.  
“Of course. You can take a nap on the couch if you’d like. I’m going to lock the door when I leave so that no one will come in here and disturb you,” Kandomere says softly.  
She smiles at him and he lifts one of her hands and presses a kiss to it. And then he stands up and leaves with Montehugh and locks the door behind him. 

As they start to walk down the hall, “Hey, Boss, you wouldn’t mind taking a little detour for a minute? I need to talk to you real quick,” Ulysses says.  
Kandomere follows him to his office and closes the door behind him. The office is smaller than the elf’s, but it’s still nicer than some of the other agents’.  
“Yes, what is it?” Kandomere asks.  
Montehugh holds up a finger, “First things first. There aren’t any of your pointy-eared friends around are there?”  
Kandomere pauses to listen and then opens the door enough to look out and inhales and then closes the door, “No.”  
“Good,” Montehugh says, “Now, I suggest if we want to keep her on,” Montehugh says quietly and jerks his head back in the direction of Kandomere’s office, “We don’t tell ‘em a fucking magic artifact is giving her visions.”  
Kandomere takes a breath, “I agree.”  
“Listen, I’ve seen enough of who she is as a person to know she’s not gonna turn out like all those other Brights we hunt down. She’s not a criminal. In fact she’s beyond good. Shit, she’s better than me.”  
“I know. I can say the same. But they’re not going to believe that, not yet at least,” Kandomere says.  
Montehugh’s brows furrow, “You got a plan? I was hoping you might have a plan.”  
“The more she assists us with our cases the harder it will be to deny her virtue, and the closer we’ll get to finding that amulet,” Kandomere continues.  
Montehugh nods, “You gonna talk to Saerthon later?”  
“Yes,” Kandomere says, “Hopefully he’ll have something we can work with.”  
“That elf runs a tight ship, he can be real weird at times, but I know he won’t say shit if you tell him not to,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere nods and pulls out his pocket watch and checks the time, “We best get going we don’t want to be late for our meeting.”  
They both leave the office and step out into the hall.

*******

You feel someone nudging you and you sit up and rub your eyes.   
You stare at the pair of silver eyes in front of you and Kandomere smiles.  
“Did you sleep well?” he asks softly as he smoothes your hair down.  
You close your eyes and smile and then open your mouth in a yawn.  
“Yes, actually it’s…peaceful here,” you say softly.  
He smiles, “It’s what makes it so easy for me to do work,” he says and turns his head to stare at the mostly eaten candy bar, “I see you’ve eviscerated my chocolate bar.”  
“I was trying to save you some,” you say.  
“I gave it to you, it’s yours. You can have the rest of it if you want,” he insists.  
“Well, if you insist then, I’ll just shove it into my purse for later,” you say.  
He smiles wide and his fingers brush past your ear.  
“It’s actually one of my favorite brands, but it’s only sold in the elven district,” you continue.  
“I could get you some if you’d like?” Kandomere asks.  
“I didn’t mean you should…you don’t have to,” you mutter.  
“Are you kidding me? Montehugh pokes fun at my snobbish taste in chocolate. Despite the fact that, that’s not true I’ll eat anything chocolate. I just have my favorites,” Kandomere says, “I’m more than happy to buy chocolate for the one human who seems to share my taste.”  
You smile at him, “Could…you maybe get more than one…”  
“I’ll buy you an even dozen how does that sound?” he asks.  
“An elf after my own heart,” you say softly.  
He takes your hand and kisses your knuckles, “A lovely heart it would be to hold.”  
You blush and glance down shyly.  
He presses another kiss to your hand and then sighs, “I think it’s time we visit Saerthon. Are you up for it?”  
Your smile fades, “Yeah,” you say and stand up.  
You’re still wearing Kandomere’s jacket and it seems to have gotten quite wrinkled in your sleep and you’re worried the elf will be mad at you.  
“Oh, um I’m sorry it’s all wrinkled,” you apologize.  
He gives you a gentle smile, “It’s quite alright. It’s just a coat afterall.”  
You stare at the elf, you don’t think you’ve ever seen an elf not be upset by minor inconveniences to clothing. Then again he deals with so much more serious matters on a regular enough basis that something like that wouldn’t hinder him. He loves to look good mind you, that is still very elf-like of him he’s just…a strange and…gentle elf.  
He takes his coat from you and sets it down on the coffee table and ushers you out of his office. You take the elevator down and then walk across the familiar sidewalk path to the lab building. Kandomere opens the door for you and follows you inside and you continue forward down the hall.

You enter the lab with Kandomere, his hand on your lower back, “Saerthon?” Kandomere calls. Some of the assistants glance up at you, both curiously but when the Special Agent’s eyes sweep over them they go back to their work.  
“Yes? What is it you require?” the older elf asks rounding a corner.  
He stops short when he sees you.  
Kandomere glances between the two of you and then stares back at Saerthon “We need to speak to you. In your office.”  
The other elf nods and gestures for you to follow and you walk to an office not far from the main room and when you near the door you stop. Kandomere stops short with you and fixes you with a curious glance. Your gaze shifts slowly to a door at the end of the hall and you feel some kind of pull and find it difficult to tear your eyes away. It’s a familiar energy that’s thrumming…faintly.  
Kandomere’s hand brushes against your cheek and you focus on him. There’s that worried crease in his brows and he thumbs your cheek gently. Your gaze shifts beyond the blue-haired elf and you realize Saerthon is staring at you as well.  
“How ever did you know it was there?” Saerthon asks.  
Realization dawns on Kandomere’s face and he glances between you and the door, “{That’s what we need to speak about,}” Kandomere says in hushed elvish.  
Saerthon’s brows crease and he opens his office door and turns on the light.  
Kandomere pulls out your chair for you and you sit down and then he seats himself. Saerthon locks the door behind him and then rounds his desk, his office is much smaller than Kandomere’s but it is immaculate, everything is clean and organized. Including his more personal items he brought to decorate the glass shelves behind him, such as a stone chess set with pieces that reflect the nine races. With an elven king and queen, centaur knights, giants as rooks, human bishops, and a mix of brezzik, orcs and…the other’s are beyond your sight but you assume goblin, and ogres and the like are mixed into the pawn line. It’s a very elvish take on chess, but you glance at the other side and it seems to be mostly orcs and two elves serving as the king and queen.  
The battle of the nine armies then.  
You glance around at the other figurines on Saerthon’s shelves and they all seem to be historical recreations of armor and castles, there’s even well-worn books on history and magic which are understandable given his line of work.   
Saerthon notices you staring and spins in his chair and glances up at his belongings, “I’m a bit of a history buff I find it’s important to learn as much as possible about our past to better understand and prepare for the future.”  
You glance at his gorget, “Maybe you should try learning a little harder.”  
He spins back around in his chair to face you and furrows his brows as he glances at his gorget.  
“We’re here to discuss The Amulet of the Dragon,” Kandomere interrupts before you all get off track.  
“Do you have any more information for me?” Saerthon asks folding his hands across his desk.  
Kandomere’s eyes shift to you, “In a manner of speaking.”  
Saerthon glances between the two of you slowly.  
“In our meeting with The Northern Light earlier today….some new information was gleaned,” Kandomere continues.  
The other elf leans forwards slightly his face becoming serious.  
“It seems the amulet has imprinted on her,” Kandomere says and gestures to you.  
The other elf’s eyes widen and he leans back, “Oh my this is very serious and potentially very dangerous for you most of all Ms.” he says gesturing to you.  
“Aurora told me what she knew about ‘imprinting’ she said it wants me to wield it,” you say.  
His brows raise, “Yes, and now it makes sense how you knew where we’re keeping the key. You have a connection to it, one that is getting stronger. When did you first notice anything strange?”   
“When I picked up the lockbox,” you answer.  
His eyebrows raise higher on his head, almost to his hairline, “You picked…it up?” he shakes his head, “You shouldn’t just touch random magical artifacts-“  
“I didn’t even know what it was! Selina wouldn’t tell me anything about it!” you shout.  
Kandomere holds out a hand to you both and then glances behind him at the door, “Keep the volume to a minimum both of you if you wish this conversation to remain private,” he warns.  
You’re still mad and Kandomere gently grips your upper arm and kneads it and you settle back into your seat. His hand trails down your arm to your right hand and he holds your hand in his.  
“She’s been having visions: one when she initially touched the lockbox and two more when she was talking with The Northern Light,” Kandomere explains.  
“Was the dragon’s mere presence enough for this vision? Saerthon asks calmly.  
“No. She said a name, two names actually, The Everburning Emerald and The Darkest Shadow,” you say.  
Saerthon’s face goes even paler, “I cannot say I recognize the first, but I do…very much recognize the second,” he takes a breath, “He is a very vile dragon that was quite infamous in Europe for burning villages to the ground some several hundred years ago.”  
“She also said that he slayed The Everburning Emerald,” you add.  
“That’s not surprising that name sounds like a dragon’s name, and he killed quite a number of them as well in his rampage,” Saerthon continues, “I imagine this dragon he-“  
“She,” you interrupt.  
He pauses, “She?”  
“She was a female dragon I know from my vision,” you explain.  
“What did she do in this vision?” Saerthon inquires.  
“Um…she stepped out of this forest into a field and looked in my direction…it wasn’t at me specifically and then she said, ‘[If it is a new amulet you need then I will help you forge another. Then mayhaps together we can end his reign of terror,]’” you say.  
Kandomere’s hand clenches yours a little tightly and you stare at him, he seems very worried. Saerthon is also staring at you, but he seems confused.  
He purses his lips, “Might I ask what language you think you just spoke?”  
You knit your brows together, “English?”  
He shakes his head and stands up and removes a book from one of his shelves and starts flipping through it. You glance at Kandomere and when his eyes meet yours it confirms your suspicions, “I did it again didn’t I?”  
He nods.  
You take a shaky breath and Kandomere takes your hand in both of his now and strokes your hand gently.   
Saerthon finds the page he’s looking for and sets the book down on his desk in front of you, “Do you recognize any of these runes?” he questions.  
You stare at them and shake your head and then you pause…and tap one of the pictures of a single rune.   
The elf leans forwards and examines it, “The Draconic word for ‘new’ or ‘renewal’ as it’s often used,” he states.  
You nod, “[Renewal.]”  
Kandomere shifts in his seat and you glance at him and then back at Saerthon.  
“How is it you know this word?” Saerthon asks.  
“I learned it when Aurora translated it for me,” you say.  
“So it is not instant recognition? That’s good, it’s not as far along as I feared,” Saerthon says.  
“What do you mean ‘far along’ it’s going to get worse?” Kandomere demands.  
“Yes, actually. Until we can severe the connection somehow it’s going to keep happening,” Saerthon says.  
“Is there anything I can do to stop it?” you ask.  
Saerthon picks up the book and sets it back up on the shelf, “I’m afraid, I don’t know. Since I don’t know the why? Of how the connection was formed I cannot give you specifics.”  
“I wasn’t the only one to touch it though so why me?” you ask.  
Saerthon glances back at you, “Who else touched it?”  
“The elf with silver hair,” you say.  
“Hm if it’s nature is predatory it could be it saw you as an easier target? But that doesn’t sound quite right it should have ignored you after enough time had passed. No, there’s something it wants from you specifically,” Saerthon says.  
“Like what?” you ask.  
He puts up a hand, “Again I’m at a loss as to what that might be.”  
“Is there anything else you know of the amulet’s history that might could help us?” Kandomere asks.  
“It was made by a human man sometime in the 14th century, he was a simple potterer and artisan who doubled as his village’s resident wizard. There are some who deny that it was made by him, but that ledger you brought me is the most damning evidence I’ve seen,” Saerthon explains.  
Kandomere looks to you and studies you, “Did you see anything that time?”  
You shake your head.  
Kandomere then turns back to Saerthon, “There isn’t anything else?” he questions a little exasperated.  
“My interest and study in the story is a hobby of mine and I never imagined that it would be touched upon at all in my professional life. But I do have a few people in mind I could contact for more information and I will find someone who does know,” Saerthon continues.

You sigh and glance down at the cardboard box on his table and peer inside.  
It’s filled with your Aunt’s figurines.  
“Ah, yes, those,” Saerthon says noticing, “I’ve already examined them and found them to be ordinary so I’m carefully packing them in this box so they won’t break.”  
“I could’ve told you that,” you say and pick up one of the unicorns not meticulously wrapped in bubble wrap.  
“Yes, well I did want to ask you a few questions to make this process go smoother, but I understand that it is upsetting,” Saerthon says.  
You stare at the rearing unicorn with their head dipped in a fighting stance, “Maybe there’s someone else we could still ask who might know,” you say glancing to Kandomere.  
He inhales, “Saerthon, if you would.”  
You furrow your brows and glance at the other elf as he takes a ring of keys out of his pocket and unlocks a drawer in his desk and then pulls out a familiar purple-hearted wood, rectangular box.   
Selina had this box specifically made for transporting her unicorn-haired brush.  
He unlocks this box as well with a small, golden key and opens it and turns it to face you. You reach out and lift the brush out of the box and set it in your lap. Kandomere still has your right hand in both of his, and you turn the brush over to stare at the carving on the handle of a unicorn peeking out from behind some trees and you speak her name…

“Lady of the Wood, the Moonlight that Shines Through the Trees…” you whisper.

You close your eyes and you’re staring into a small stream illuminated by the moonlight. You turn your head to the right and see the unicorn who appears to be gleaming with silver-white light under the moon. Her head lifts up as she stops drinking from the stream and she stares at you.   
You dip your head, “I apologize if I’m interrupting I-“ you begin.  
“You seek my wisdom?” she asks interrupting you.  
You lift your head and stare at her and nod.  
Her eyes study you for a moment and then she lifts her horned head, “Something has happened. Something has changed.”  
“Yes, I…” you pause and take a breath and the unicorn’s ear flick towards you and she lifts her head slightly, “There’s this amulet called The Amulet of the Dragon and apparently it has…’imprinted’ on me,” you explain.  
Her head lifts up and her neck moves back as she inhales and then she stares at the ground, “Yes, that sounds problematic.”  
“Can…can you help me?” you ask.  
“From this distance? No,” she says fixing her gray eyes on you.  
Your shoulders slump, so you’re doomed then.  
“But,” she continues, “Were you to find this amulet and bring it with you here to my forest, I could sever the bond it has forged with you,” she finishes with a thrust of her horn.  
Your eyes widen, “You can do that?”  
She nods, “Of course, but both you and the amulet must be here,” she says with a stomp of her split hoof.  
This is the best news you’ve heard all day.  
“But how do I find the amulet?” you ask.  
She tilts her head at you, “The bond is not strong enough then to sense it?”  
“No,” you answer with a shake of your head.  
“In your hunt for it, it will get stronger as will the pull to it,” she explains.  
Then she stares at you for another moment, “Yes…not strong enough yet. It was not awakened before.”  
You furrow your brows.  
“When you find it. Do not use it. No matter the temptation,” she states.  
You nod and then you pause and the unicorn tilts her head at you again, “Do you know anything about The Everburning Emerald and The Darkest Shadow?”  
The unicorn stares at you and then lifts her head and stares up at the night sky. You follow her gaze and you can see the stars, something you sorely miss living in the city.  
“I am from the earth and dragons are from the sky, I have heard stories of the ones you speak of, but I do not know them myself,” she says and her head lowers to stare at you, “I know only my forest and those who enter it and the stories they bring me. But what I do know is that the shadow of which you speak is a monster who enjoys the destruction and chaos he causes. But he is also a prideful creature one who does not enjoy being bested or escaped,” she finishes as she steps forwards, “Be careful, he’s seen your face.”  
You nod and both your hands clench around the brush you’re holding and then you feel a hand grip yours and you relax. You look down at your hands and you can’t see his hands at the moment, but you can still feel Kandomere near you. The unicorn stares at your hands and then stares at the empty space beside you where Kandomere is seated.  
“It seems you will not be alone in this endeavor,” she states, “Good…I sense the elf will aid you, “ she adds softly.  
The unicorn stares at the empty space beside you and then slowly turns back to you, “How interesting….yes, something has changed.”  
You stare at her confused and then focus on the feeling of Kandomere’s hands overtop yours, they’re strong and steadying.  
“Thank you for your help,” you say with a dip of your head.  
She repeats the gesture, “Hopefully our next conversation will be under better circumstances, Little One.”  
You smile and then open your eyes and you’re back in Saerthon’s office.

You turn to stare at Kandomere and he fixes you with that worried look of his.  
“She said that she could break the bond the amulet has on me if we find it and bring it to her,” you explain.  
“Well, that’s good news,” Kandomere says with a little relief.  
“Yes, but she’s all the way in France, yes?” Saerthon asks.  
“Yes,” you answer.  
Kandomere grumbles and his shoulders get tense again, “It would take considerable effort to convince anyone to ship such a dangerous artifact overseas to another country.”  
“I…also have to go with it,” you add.  
Kandomere looks at you and knits his brows together.  
“It won’t work otherwise,” you state.  
“They’ll definitely not agree,” Saerthon says.  
Kandomere looks to the other elf and sighs, “There has to be something.”  
Saerthon tilts his head to the side, “The amulet IS from Europe perhaps that is how we get our foot in the door? Convince them it needs to go home?”  
“They wouldn’t ship it directly to France is the problem,” Kandomere says and then he stares at you again, “Unless bad weather redirected them?”  
You get what Kandomere is implying and nod.  
“We can work on an argument and a plan of action, but we still need to find the amulet before it disappears again for another several hundred years,” Saerthon says as he outstretches a hand to you.  
You instinctively pull out of Kandomere’s hands and hold the brush to your chest.  
“Not to worry you’ll be reunited soon enough, and until then she’ll be safe in here,” Saerthon assures you.

You reluctantly set the brush back in the box and then stand and Kandomere stands as well and follows you out of the room. You walk back to the main room and spot your Aunt’s books in stacks and then you see a familiar pink cover and stop. Kandomere stops beside you and stares down at you, “What?”  
He follows your gaze to the stack of books and sighs, “We’re still going through the spellbooks-”  
“These aren’t spellbooks,” you interrupt spinning to face him.  
You then step forward out of the elf’s grasp and pick the book out of the stack, “It’s just a regular book, that I wanted to reread,” you explain.  
Kandomere closes the distance and extends a hand and you give him the book and he flips through it briefly to verify.  
“Those are just the regular books from the half-elf’s collection,” a feminine voice says.  
You turn to see an elven woman with lavender hair wearing a yellow dress and holding a clipboard.  
“I know, I recognize them,” you reply.  
Kandomere hands you the book back and his hand finds your lower back as he stares at the elven woman. You glance at her and then glance at Kandomere and he seems to have gotten very tense all of a sudden.  
Wait, they’re not exes are they?  
She is very pretty and you can hardly compare to any elven woman.  
Your heart sinks a little.  
“I’ve already cleared them and set them aside,” the elven woman continues.  
You stare at the stack and then up at Kandomere, “Can I take a couple home with me?”  
He turns his attention back to you and his brows furrow, “Well, they do belong to you...” he trails off, “Saerthon,” Kandomere calls and turns to the older elf who just entered the room.  
“Hm?” Saerthon responds.  
“Would it be alright if she took a couple books home with her?” Kandomere asks.  
Saerthon furrows his brows as well and steps towards the stack you’re standing next to, “From here?”  
“Yes,” you reply.  
“Oh of course, it’s fine,” he says with a wave of his hand, “Our Specialist has already cleared that stack.”  
You pull out an old fairytale book from the stack too and set it on top of “A Moonlit Courtship” and nod at Kandomere.  
“I do need you to sign for it,” Saerthon says after grabbing some paper and a pen from nearby and pinning it to his clipboard, “Just don’t put the date down or anything, we’ll put that in later after you’ve spoken with the lawyer about the half-elf’s estate.”  
“Wait, so you’re the one…” the Specialist begins, “I’m sorry for your loss.”  
You stare at her and there’s a sincerity in her eyes and you nod, “Thank you.”

You sign your name and Kandomere nudges your back gently and he escorts you out of the building and across the sidewalk back to the office. And while you’re walking across the grass, “So…is she your ex or something?” you ask.  
Kandomere bristles, “WHAT?! NO!”  
“Oh,” you reply quietly.  
“Why did you think that?” he questions.  
“I don’t know things just seemed tense between you two is all,” you say.  
Kandomere grumbles and stares forwards, “I’ve only met her the other day when she asked me out.”  
“She asked you out!” you exclaim.  
“Yes, why do you care?” Kandomere asks stopping in his tracks.  
Why do you?  
“Because…we pretended to be a couple and if you were already dating someone…” you offer as your only explanation.  
Kandomere shakes his head, “We’re not dating. I declined her offer.”  
You relax a little.  
He then takes your hands in his, “I would not do something so dishonorable. It hurts my heart that you think I would, Querida.”  
You glance down, “Well, I’m glad you’re single then.”  
You stare back at him and he’s giving you a weird look, “Not that being single is bad, I mean I’m single, I mean…”  
Kandomere chuckles and then lifts your hand and presses a kiss to your knuckles, “I’m glad we’re both single then,” he says in a low voice.  
You stare up at him as you feel your cheeks flush, he’s so handsome and he’s…your eyes drift down to his neck.  
Not wearing his gorget.  
“We should…get back to work, yes?” you ask.  
He nods and lets go of your hand only to gently touch the small of your back and you feel a tingling run up your spine. You smile at him as you both walk back to the office and you feel his thumb lightly stroking your back and your heart flutters a little.

*******

At the end of the day the elf insists on taking you home and you follow him out to the parking lot and you make note of the car he approaches.  
It’s a four-door Mercedes Coupe, in a beautiful shade of blue.  
He unlocks the car and opens your door for you and you seat yourself, “You don’t have to do that.”  
“I know. I want to,” he says and closes your door.  
He steps around to the driver’s side and gets in.   
The interior of the car is incredibly sleek and modern.  
Fitting for the elf.  
He starts the car and seems to notice you staring, “Admiring my car?”  
“It’s nice, just not as expensive as some of the other cars I’ve seen elves drive,” you reply.  
He raises an eyebrow at you.  
Your eyes widen, you hadn’t meant that to be a backhanded compliment.  
“Uh, I like the color,” you say.  
He huffs as he backs out of the parking space, “Well, when you’ve lost fours cars in two years, you tend not to buy the most expensive ones anymore. Also blue is my favorite color.”  
“FOUR CARS?!” you exclaim, “What did on Earth did you do to them?”  
“What? You think that elf lady is the only person who’s ever tried to kill me?” he questions.  
You stare at him in horror, “Kandomere, I’m very concerned.”  
“Didn’t you lose a car as well?” he asks.  
“I…that was different!” you argue.  
“How so?” he asks raising an eyebrow, but focusing on the road.  
You sit in silence for a moment and stare forward, “Okay so maybe it’s not different.”  
He hums in response.  
“Your favorite color is blue?” you ask.  
“Yes, why?” he asks sparing you a brief glance.  
“No reason,” you lie, “It’s a nice color.”  
You continue the drive in relative silence, but when you make it to your street, you’re thankful that you didn’t get hit by a truck this time.  
Kandomere parks on the street and gets out with you, “I’m going to walk you up, make sure everything’s clear.”  
You smile and then you stare at his very expensive car and then out at the darkened street. This IS a gang neighborhood, and the elf’s car is too tempting a target.  
“You can’t just leave your car here,” you say.  
“Why not?” Kandomere asks.  
You raise an eyebrow at him, “Because it won’t be here when you get back.”  
The elf frowns and stares at his car.  
“Look, just let me cast an illusion spell on it,” you whisper stepping towards him.  
He nods, “Very well.”  
You place a hand on the car, “No matter how those with ill will feel, When they look upon this car there will be no appeal,” you whisper.  
Light collects on the car and there’s a flash and instead of an overly expensive car, it now looks like the cheapest and oldest car on this block. You head up to your apartment with the elf in tow and unlock your door and then lock it behind you both. You turn to him and he steps towards you and takes your hands in his and holds them up massaging them gently, “How are you doing? Are you alright?” he asks softly.  
You look up at him and shake your head, “No, I’m not. I’m not alright.”  
“Come here,” Kandomere says and he wraps his arms around you and hugs you.   
Maneuvering your arms around his waist you hug him back and close your eyes as he holds you for a while, as you allow him to comfort you.   
And his presence is a comforting one.  
You’re finding you’re less and less afraid of him the more time you spend with him.  
You lift your head off his chest and he loosens his grip.  
“Would you like me to stay awhile?” he asks.  
You nod, “If you wouldn’t mind?”  
You look up at him and he smiles gently at you, “I wouldn’t mind at all.”  
He takes you by the hand and leads you over to the couch and sits down. You sit down next to him and he removes his jacket and sets it on the table and you slip off your shoes and set your purse on the table as well. He leans back and wraps an arm around you and you move closer to him, resting your head on his left shoulder. Pulling your feet up you and placing your left hand across his chest, you curl up next to the elf and he rests his head against yours. You sit there in silence for a while, his fingers tracing themselves along the exposed skin of your upper arm. Your eyes start to slip closed as you begin to drift towards sleep.  
“Can I turn on the tv?” Kandomere asks startling you back awake.  
“Huh? Oh, sure,” you mumble.

He leans forwards and grabs the remote and turns on the tv and begins searching through the channels until he finds the history channel. You stare at the tv as a program about magic comes on and then slowly turn your head towards Kandomere.   
He meets your gaze, “What?”  
“Really?” you ask.  
“I like to watch these sometimes, because I find it funny,” he says.  
Your brows furrow at him, “How is it funny?”  
“Well, when you work with actual magic on a day to day basis it’s hilarious to watch how wrong they get it on these shows,” Kandomere explains.  
You turn your attention back to the tv and after about ten minutes of watching it in silence, “What?! That’s not what that’s supposed to look like!”  
Kandomere chuckles.  
You look at him and wave a hand at the tv, “Those runes are all wrong! I guarantee you it’ll backfire and blow up in your face if you so much as try to activate it!” you exclaim.  
Kandomere huffs quietly and wraps his arm tighter around you and holds you close to him and you settle back into your seat.   
You watch the tv angrily, “I don’t see how you think this is funny.”  
“It’s funny to watch your face,” Kandomere remarks.  
You turn on him, “Is that why you turned it on?!”   
“No, that is,” he says and points at the tv.  
You glance back at the tv and try to hold back your laughter as you see a group of actors in robes wander around in a circle chanting literal nonsense waving sticks in a field.   
“Oh my God what are they even supposed to be doing?” you ask stifling back a laugh.  
You look to Kandomere and he makes a stern face, “Summoning the dead,” and then the corner of his mouth lifts up slightly. Now you burst out laughing and Kandomere chuckles along with you. You settle your head back against Kandomere’s shoulder and continue to watch the very bad documentary.  
“I think that’s stock footage,” Kandomere says.  
“Yeah, I think you’re right I’ve seen it used in a lot of other things,” you say.

After a while you start to drift off again when a sound from the tv jolts you awake. Kandomere must have fallen asleep before you, because he also startles at the sound and swiftly grabs the remote and mutes the tv. You stare at the tv as a program about dragons comes on and the elf quickly changes the channel. Kandomere leans back against the couch, “I think that’s enough dragons for one day.”  
You nod and then move to rest your head under his chin, your left hand moving across his chest and now fiddling with his tie. Kandomere rests his chin on the top of your head and wraps his other arm around you and then trails his fingers lightly across your arm. And you both sit in silence for a few moments.  
“It’s not coming back,” he says quietly.  
You stop fiddling with his tie where his gorget once was.  
You pull away from him slowly and prop yourself up against him and stare at him.  
“You promise?” you ask, smoothing your hand over his torso.  
“I do,” he says, his face serious.  
You glance to the side and take a breath and then settle yourself against the elf again, “I don’t want to ever see it again, understand?”  
“I understand, Querida,” he says.  
Your eyes widen slightly and you pull back and stare at him, “Why do you call me that?”  
He stares at you and blinks and then wets his lips.  
“Why do you call me Dear?” you ask.  
You feel his fingers trail up your arm and to your face where he thumbs your cheek.   
“I don’t know,” he answers.  
And you can tell from his contemplative expression, he’s telling the truth.  
“Perhaps, you just look like one to me,” he says with a small smile.  
It’s not a very satisfactory answer, “But why?” you ask more insistently.  
“I am hardly the first person to call you Dear,” Kandomere says.  
“I suppose,” you mutter.  
That is true, even Banathar referred to you as such.  
“To be fair you called me Dear first,” Kandomere continues.  
You furrow your brows again, “Is this that phone call that I don’t remember?”  
“Yes,” he huffs, “And in that phone call you called me Kandomere Dear.”  
You have…actually called him that since then.  
“I mean…it rhymes and you know how much I like rhymes,” you counter.  
He smiles a toothy grin and you find you like the way his face softens and the warmth in his eyes.  
“I do, you’ve saved my life with some of those rhymes,” Kandomere says.  
“Twice,” you say.  
“Twice,” he agrees.  
“Do you want me to stop?” he asks.  
“Stop what?” you ask confused.  
“Do you want me to stop calling you Querida?” he asks softly.  
You stare at him and lean into his touch as he continues his gentle touches and you close your eyes, “No,” you say softly.  
There’s silence for a moment and then you open your eyes and let out a small yawn.   
Kandomere lets out a little huff, “It seems I’m keeping you from such much needed rest.”  
He sits up and you untangle yourself from him and then stand up.   
The elf stands and checks his pocket watch, “It is getting late.”  
“Who are they?” you ask suddenly.  
“Hm?” he hums and then he glances at the picture in the pocket watch you’re pointing to, “Oh, Mi Familia, this is my mother and my three older sisters, with Maretha being the eldest, and Aranea and Cirinea being twins, and this is me.”  
“I didn’t know you had siblings,” you say smiling at him.  
He looks to you with a smile on his own face, “Yes, and you have a sibling as well.”  
“I’m not surprised that you know that, but yes I have an older sister,” you say and then you stare at the photo and frown, “Where’s your dad?”  
You glance back at Kandomere and his face darkens.  
“Oh he’s not….dead is he?” you ask worriedly.  
Kandomere closes the pocket watch and stuffs it back in his vest, “He’s dead to me.”  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” you mutter.  
He shakes his head and stares at you, “Don’t be. He’s not a good man.”   
He starts to move towards the door and you follow and then he turns to you and his hand finds your cheek. You smile and close your eyes and then open them again to find him return your smile. You tentatively reach your hand toward his face and brush your fingers against his cheek and as you start to move for his ear…his hand catches yours and he turns his head to press a kiss to your palm. You stare at him transfixed as he presses a couple more kisses to your skin and he meets your eyes again. His silver eyes regard you warmly and you stare back at him silently.   
Have his eyes always been this gorgeous? Even the slightest movement of his lids as he glances down and then back up at you is breathtaking.   
You realize you’ve been staring a little too long when he says, “Goodnight.”   
You also realize that you had leaned towards him, “Goodnight,” you whisper pulling back, “My brave, gentle elf,” you add.  
His eyebrows raise slightly as there’s a glint of amusement in his eyes, “Brave, gentle elf?”  
“Well yeah, that’s who you are to me,” you say.  
He smiles and gives a small nod, “It is an honor to be known as such. Querida,” he says and takes your hand and presses another kiss to your knuckles and you can’t help but smile again.  
“Goodnight," you repeat.  
“Goodnight,” he repeats.  
And then he walks out of your apartment.  
You lock the door behind him and press on it to make sure it’s shut and then look at your hand. You press it to your face and sigh and then smiling to yourself, you tuck your hair behind your ear and finally go change out of your work clothes. You then turn off the tv and curl up on the couch with the book “A Moonlit Courtship” and re-read some of your favorite parts, before you inevitably fall asleep.

*******

Kandomere sets his keys in the bowl next to the door and shuts it and locks it. He sighs and shrugs out of his jacket and heads for his bedroom. He sets it across his dresser and then loosens his tie and removes his gun and sets it in it’s proper place. He then removes his shoes, socks, and vest and wanders back through his apartment and into the kitchen.   
It’s starting to get late and he doesn’t feel like cooking anything tonight.  
Kandomere looks through his fridge at what he has leftover and sees there’s still some soup left.  
Perfect.  
He takes it out sets it in a pot and turns the stove on.  
Bored, he meanders around his apartment for a bit. He wanders out into his living room and spots his plants near the window. Stepping over to them he checks to see how they’re doing. The rosemary and thyme seem to be doing well.   
Hmm, the basil might need to be repotted it’s getting too big for the one he put it in.   
He takes a long inhale enjoying the fresh scent the plants provide and then wanders back out of the living room.   
He paces around with his hands in his pockets.  
Kandomere lives alone of course.  
He’s lived alone for quite some time, he doesn’t mind it’s just sometimes it can get...well lonely.   
He stops and stares into his empty bedroom at his bed.  
It has been quite some time since he’s had a girlfriend live with him.  
Elves are all well off enough that they don’t need to live with each other and as such it was rather difficult each time to convince a girlfriend of his to live with him. Elven women don’t generally need to be taken care of either, unless it’s sexually of course.   
He can more than provide that.  
Only problem is too many didn’t value him for anything more than that even if they were dating him. And as such it’s been a little more than a decade since he has shared his bed with anyone. He wonders if humans have similar problems when it comes to their love life.  
Perhaps he should ask his Bright?  
Montehugh’s been married for a long time and hasn’t needed to deal with the bachelor life and voices that he very much prefers not to go back to it. He could ask her…though the question may seem out of the blue.   
There’s suddenly an image of her from earlier curled up on his couch in his office and he imagines her in his bed, waking up because he came home late and having a worried look on her face. And he would crawl into bed next to her and hold her to reassure her that everything was alright...  
He shakes his head and turns to stare into his home office.  
He remembers suddenly that book that she’d wanted to read “A Moonlit Courtship”  
was it?  
He steps into his office and sits down at his desk and starts typing the name into the search bar on his computer.   
There’s…two different versions?  
He opens a tab for each of them and reads through them, one seems to be in English and the other in Övüsi. He scrolls down on the blue and silver embossed version and reads an overview of the book. He knew it was a romance novel, but the romance is between an elven man and a…human woman.   
This is a rare find.  
Elves quite loathe these types of books, they hate anything that encourages elves to seek romantic partners outside of their race. He reads through more about the book it was written by an elven man…and it’s…nonfiction…  
Kandomere removes his hand from his face and sits up, it’s the story of how he met his wife. He hears the soup boiling and he quickly rushes back to the kitchen to turn off the stove. He removes the pot and sets it aside and covers it with a lid and then returns to his office. He checks the pink non-elvish version of the book…it’s her perspective on how she met her elven husband. He then starts to do a little research on the authors of the book. They had decided to write down their love story to encourage others that love can be found anywhere you just have to open your heart to it.   
Kandomere smiles as he reads up on the couple’s life.  
They were so happy together.  
Inevitably though his human wife did die first of old age, but the elf never loved anyone else nor anyone more than her and never remarried and was buried next to her when he inevitably also died. Though he did die much sooner than he should have for an elf, perhaps it was a broken heart.  
The couple had tried to have children, but had lost more than a couple in childbirth and early infancy, and as such only had each other.   
That hurts his heart, as someone who wants children of his own, to be unable to have them would be heartbreaking. It would not be reason enough to find someone else, no, he would love her too much to abandon her.   
And what if he was the problem?   
He would not want her to abandon him either.  
He wants to read this book, he decides.  
Yes, but it is more than a couple hundred years old it might be difficult to….nevermind there it is.   
There’s an old bookshop nearby that has one in stock.  
Ugh, it’s not available to order online though, it’s just a list of the items they have in stock on a web layout he has not seen in a while. He’s not opposed to doing things the old-fashioned way, though it does take time out of his busy schedule.  
He looks up the number for the shop and calls it.  
“Yes, hello?” a raspy feminine voice says.  
“Hello, I was wondering if I could reserve a copy of ‘A Moonlit Courtship?’” he asks.  
There’s some grumbling on the other end, “Hold on one moment let me check to see if we have it.”  
Kandomere saw that it says it’s in stock on the website, he hopes it’s still there and not false hope.   
There’s some sounds of rifling and then, “The only one we have is in elvish,” she says uncertain.  
“Yes, that’s perfect! Could you hold it for me? I’ll be by tomorrow to pick it up,” he says.  
“Sure, what’s your name so I can write it down?” she asks.  
“Kandomere,” he answers.  
There’s a pause on the other end, “…Kandomere?”  
“Yes…” he replies tentatively.  
Oh no, is she not going to let him have the book?  
She sighs, “Alright, Kandomere, I’ll have it set aside for you.”  
“Thank you, goodbye,” he says with relief.  
“Mmhm, bye,” she mutters and hangs up the phone.  
He’s excited, he can’t wait to read it!  
He closes out his tabs and makes a note on both his desk and in his calendar to go pick up the book after work tomorrow. And then he goes and fixes himself a bowl of soup and watches tv. And he finds he misses having her here to watch it with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Draconic is in these brackets]


	11. Medusa's Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Violence, Death, Sexual Content
> 
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}
> 
> Additional Note: (Bodzvokhan is in these brackets)

You stare out into the darkened night and make your way through the trees, the letter said to come here, but you’re worried you might have gotten a little lost. Your shoulders relax when you hear the sound of running water and so you follow it. You come upon a darkened pool of water that has the full moon reflected perfectly across it’s surface. And the sound you heard was the gentle waterfall beyond it that pours out into it. There’s ripples that mar the reflection of the moon in the water and it takes you a moment to find the source in the darkened water.  
“I’ve been waiting for you,” a familiar voice says and your heart leaps at the sound.  
“I’m here as you asked, where are you? I cannot see,” you call out.  
“Right, I forget your eyes cannot pierce the darkness like mine,” he says his voice drawing closer. You continue to strain your eyes to get a glimpse of him when he steps forwards into the moonlight and you can see clearly your lover. You smile wide at him and he returns it, his pointed teeth clear against the darkness.  
Teeth that should have struck fear into your heart had they belonged to any other, but this is your lover. His body is soaked from his swim, his clothes cling to him, and his blue hair is drenched as it hangs around his face.  
“Aren’t you going to join me?” he asks playfully.  
“Of course, My Love,” you whisper.  
He smiles and moves his arms back and forth in the water.  
You pick up the edges of your long blue dress and slipping off your shoes, step into the cold water and begin to slowly walk towards the elf. You sink into the water past your waist and carefully make your way closer to him. His silver eyes drink in your form as your clothes now damp from the water begin to cling to you as well. Your foot slips and the elf quickly reaches out and grabs you by your hips and hoists you up before your head dips beneath the water’s surface.  
You’re feeling a little embarrassed and you look up at your lover with a small smile, “I’m sorry, I must look so clumsy next to you.”  
He shakes his head gently, “No, I am sorry, I should have realized the water is too deep for you here.”  
He holds you while he walks you closer to the shore until you feel your feet brush against the bottom again. He wraps his arms around your waist and you look up at him and reach towards his face and pull him in for a kiss.  
His lips are soft and tender as he kisses you.  
Your hands find his damp, blue hair and his hands knead across your aching body. He then pulls your dress down enough that his lips part from yours to tend to your exposed chest. You breathe and gasp in the silence as you feel him mark you with his teeth. You scratch at his scalp and his hands move to your thighs to continue his caresses.  
“My Elf,” you breathe out.  
“Yes, Mi Amor?” he questions softly.  
“Take me, please,” you gasp.  
“Certainly,” he breathes and he grips your thighs and easily lifts you up and you wrap your legs around his midsection. Your lips find his again as you feel him push aside your garment.  
His lips burn against yours as your desires for one another increase.  
Your lover pulls himself free of his own attire and you moan out his name as he thrusts himself fully into you. Your lover begins to make quick work of you as you soon come undone and cry out your pleasure into the night sky.  
Your time spent apart having only made you hunger for one another.  
A hunger that even as your bodies both calm from your desire…is not quite satiated.  
“Again,” you breathe.  
He stares into your eyes as he holds onto you tightly, his silver eyes darkened and soaked with his desire for you.  
“Kandomere, please,” you beg.  
“Anything for you, Querida,” he breathes as he sinks his teeth into your neck.  
You open your eyes and slowly pull your mind out of the thick fog of sleep.

You sit up and pick up the book on your lap and stare down at the page you left open.  
“His lips burn against hers as their desires for one another increase,” you read.  
You still remember your dream very vividly and it’s giving you a lot of weird feelings.  
Ok, so you had a sexy dream about your new boss.  
No big deal, right?  
People would understand if they saw him right?  
You close the book and lean forward to set the book down on the coffee table and feel…a dampness between your legs.  
Oh God.  
Scratch that.  
You had a wet dream about your hot boss.  
You look at the time on your phone and it’s only five a.m. You brush your hair out of your face and then feel your cheek, your skin is really warm. And you’re starting to realize that the ache in your abdomen is still there.  
You sit there for a moment staring at the floor.  
No, you’re not going to.  
NO.  
You glance up at your room and then jump to your feet and quickly stride over to your bedroom and throw open the door. Ignoring the ice you move to your bedside table and attempt to pry open one of the drawers. It won’t budge and in your frustration you let out a snarl, and suddenly a fog of some kind fills your vision. Startled, you step back and then look down as you realize the ice is melting, rapidly. You don’t know if this will set off the smoke detectors, but you don’t want to risk it. You throw open your bedroom window leading to the fire escape and motioning with your arms, funnel the steam out of your room with a gust of wind.  
After it’s cleared you close the window and pull the curtains back and step around your room and note that the carpet feels dry and soft. You try the light, but it’s still not working, so you return to the living room and retrieve your phone.  
Marching back to your room you shine the light around as you enter again, and you stare around your room in shock.  
The ice is completely gone.  
You reach out and touch the comforter, it’s dry too.  
There are some holes torn into it from when you tried to hastily escape your room, so your bedding will need to be replaced. Your eyes shift back to the now unobstructed drawer and you open it and pull out the bag containing your favorite sex toy. You place the phone on the nightstand with the light facing up and pull it out and then reach for your unopened pack of batteries and put the appropriate amount into the translucent, blue rabbit and click it on. What the?  
These are fresh batteries they should work.  
You remove them and try another set, and try to turn it on.  
Still nothing.  
You try all the batteries and they’re all dead.  
You stare at the lights, “Ok, this is really weird.”  
You’re a little disappointed as you stare longingly at your vibrator.  
And then you remember there’s a pack of batteries in the kitchen.  
You rush out of your room and eagerly head for the kitchen and pull open the drawer, “No!”  
There aren’t enough…oh wait.  
There’s a loose one, whew.  
You place the batteries in the compartment and close your eyes and click it on, and you’re relieved when it purrs to life in your hand.  
Staring at it your breathing quickens a little and you turn it off and head to the bathroom. You set it down and close the door and quickly throw off your clothes. You then grab the vibrator and step into the shower and turn on the water. Giving yourself a quick rinse off you then stare down at your toy and turn it on again. You start off slow just dragging it across your clit, keeping the vibrations on the lowest setting, you don’t want to build up too fast. Although it doesn’t seem to be working, because you’re already making noises and you haven’t even put it in yet.  
To be fair it has been a while since you’ve done this.  
Maybe a few weeks even?  
You can’t resist anymore, you take the tip and slowly dip it in and pull it out. You do this a few times and then sink it fully inside you, and you let out a breathy whine that makes you a little embarrassed to hear.  
So it’s been a while since you had sex, but surely you’re not that desperate?  
You turn up the setting and quickly lose yourself in your actions as you thrust it into you while simultaneously getting the dual stimulation of your clit. You feel the build up happen as you draw close, and images of Kandomere from your dream come to you, and when you hit your peak….”KANDOMERE!” you cry out.  
And your eyes snap open, but you don’t stop as you ride it out with some more thrusts and then you turn the vibrator off.  
Staring down at the drain you finally pull the vibrator out.  
You lift your head and wet your lips. You’re at a loss on how to feel about the fact that you just called out the elf’s name. While you were…  
You stare back at the rabbit in your hand, it felt good though.  
It felt really good.  
You slip it back in and turn it on and you think of him.  
He is incredibly good looking even for an elf.  
With those broad shoulders, you thrust into yourself really hard.  
His strong arms and hands, you thrust again.  
And that blue hair, you thrust faster.  
You just want to grab a fistful of it.  
It’s your favorite color for fuck’s sake!  
Ugh, his teeth, you moan out.  
He probably gives the best neck kisses, you moan louder at the sensations and the thought of his mouth on your neck.  
His voice what does it sound like in the bedroom?  
Does he talk at all during sex? Is he quiet? You hope not.  
You want to hear him, you pant heavily.  
You want to feel him, you throw your head back and cry out, “KANDOMERE!” again.  
And then your head dips forwards and your hair falls around your face as you pull the vibrator out and pant. Slowly coming down from your climax.  
Fuck, that one was even better.  
You turn your toy off and pull your hair back with your other hand.  
It’s been too long since you’ve done this.  
And you really needed it what with all the stress you’ve been dealing with lately. It’s still a little weird you thought of Kandomere during all of this, but you’re damn sure not going to tell anyone. It’s not like he’ll know anyway, and besides it’s probably never going to happen again.  
This is why you shouldn’t read smut before bed.  
Of course you envisioned Kandomere as your lover!  
Afterall you’ve been spending a lot of time with him, holding hands, hugging, receiving hand kisses, and…cuddling…no he’d never think of you that way.  
He’s an elf and you’re…not.  
You set your toy aside and take a relaxing shower and when you step back into your room wearing a towel, you dry yourself off and put on some shorts and a tank top. Retrieving your vibrator you wash it thoroughly and set it on a towel to dry on your nightstand. You grab your phone and then head to the kitchen to make pancakes.

*******

Kandomere picks up his phone and dials her number and waits for her to pick up, but he gets her voicemail instead.  
“Um, hello? I’m calling because Hernández has a doctor’s appointment this morning and won’t be able to pick you up so I’m stopping by to drive you there myself. I wanted to call to give you some warning first. Also it’ll just be me, hope you don’t mind…”  
He then hangs up and starts his car, he hopes she’s alright, she didn’t pick up afterall. Maybe she’s still asleep or getting ready? Although in his line of work it’s easy for him to assume the worst, and he does end up driving a little faster than he should have to reach her home.  
He puts his car in park and stares at it for a moment and then looks around. It’s early but there are people moving around and starting their day and a few of the humans and orcs stare at him bewildered and mistrustingly. He lets out a sigh and heads inside her apartment building and then up the elevator. As he’s walking down the hall he can hear voices coming from behind her neighbor’s door and he’s concerned for a moment that they’re fighting….until he hears another sound scarcely a moment later and realizes that they’re not. The elf turns away from the door quickly and moves to his Bright’s door. He straightens his jacket and composes himself and then knocks on her door. He hears her move around in the kitchen and then she heads to the door and he sees her shadow under it. She unlocks the door and stares at him surprised, “Kandomere, I…wasn’t expecting you.”  
He frowns at her, “I left you a voicemail.”  
“You did?” she asks and then takes her phone out of her back pocket and looks through her messages. “Oh you did,” she says and then tucks her hair behind her left ear, “Um, come in.”  
The elf steps into the living room and she shuts the door behind him.  
“Sorry, I was finishing up breakfast,” she apologizes.  
He inhales and smells the pancakes she had cooked and then he smiles. It’s good that she’s taking care of herself.  
“Chocolate chip?” he asks.  
“Yeah,” she says with a smile tucking more of her hair behind her right ear this time, “They’re my favorite.”  
“I’ve noticed,” he says with a smile.  
She smiles at him for another moment and he stares at her fondly.  
“Are you ready for work?” he asks finally.  
She seems to snap out of it and stare down at herself, “Uh…I might need a few minutes.”  
She’s wearing a pair of light washed out denim shorts and a sapphire blue, Henley tank top that has a couple of buttons already undone.  
A top that…gives him a good view down at her breasts.  
He refrains from moistening his lips and stares into her beautiful eyes and nods, “Certainly take all the time you need.”  
Her eyes crease as she smiles at him, and then her head turns back to her bedroom. The elf follows her gaze and he notices that her bedroom door is open…and he no longer feels any cold air coming from it.  
“Something…happened earlier?” she questions.  
Kandomere nods and steps towards her room, but as he passes the bathroom he breathes in a scent and immediately loses his focus. His eyes dart to the shower and he steps forwards and tries to calm himself.  
The scent is strong and fresh…and he’s trying to ignore what’s stirring in his loins.  
Her hand grips his right arm and his attention turns to her and her eyes stare up into his.  
Mi Dios, her eyes are so beautiful.  
Her eyes have so much color in them, color that isn’t found in elven eyes.  
There’s also a softness in them that steals his breath for a moment.  
“Kandomere…” she says softly and his attention is fully on her.  
The way her lids close for a moment and then she moistens her lips, and Kandomere feels a burning in his own. Her chest heaves as she takes a breath and he suddenly wants hers to be pressed close to his. He watches her hair fall around her face as she looks back up at him and tilts her head, “I don’t know exactly how I did it, but my room’s not frozen anymore.”  
Kandomere stares at her for a moment and has to process her words.  
He then nods and moves into her room and she follows him.  
“The light still doesn’t work though,” she says and flicks it a few times.  
He nods and examines her room, the walls and ceiling seem to be undamaged, the ice didn’t really have a chance to melt overtime so perhaps it didn’t seep into it. The carpet is dry and the floor beneath it feels solid, good hopefully it won’t rot out.  
“You know we had trouble keeping equipment working when you were recovering. It seems you were overloading it, you even burnt out a couple outlets and we had to replace the wiring, because it was charred,” he explains and looks up at her light fixture.  
“Would that work on batteries too?” she asks.  
He shrugs, “Maybe, if they were close enough to you. Magic can touch things in unexpected ways,” he continues and reaches out and picks up a heavily torn portion of her comforter. He looks towards her headboard and his eyes drift to her nightstand and then they widen.  
“Oh I need to get that replaced since it’s ruined now,” she mutters.  
She seems to notice him looking at something and turns around.  
But it’s dark in here and it takes her a moment or two too long to realize.  
But when she does she lets out a startled gasp and quickly snatches the blue vibrator up and stuffs it back into her drawer and slams it shut. Kandomere swallows and tries not to think about how the toy is nearly the same size as him and that it’s clearly a size she enjoys…  
From the heavy scent of her arousal still coming from her shower, she very much enjoys what it can do for her, what he can do for her…  
No.  
He’s not going down this rabbit hole…STOP IT.  
He stares at the woman’s back and she’s clearly mortified that he saw it. He feels guilty for his thoughts when she turns around and he can see how very embarrassed she is. Her face is red and she’s refusing to make eye contact. He doesn’t quite know a human woman’s thoughts on someone finding her toys, but he knows an elven woman would feel so ashamed she would avoid all contact with whomever saw as to avoid any ridicule.  
His Bright likely presumes the same.  
How does he mitigate this situation?  
Her eyes dart around a bit to anywhere but him. She’s looking for an escape and he will provide one.  
“Yes, you’re right it does need to be replaced, but for now I think you should get dressed,” he says calmly.  
She looks up at him finally and then down at herself, “Right,” she says with a little relief.  
“I’ll wait out here for you,” he says gesturing back towards the living room.  
She adjusts her shirt and Kandomere gets a glimpse of a baby blue bralette as the straps and lace peek out from the woman’s shirt.  
He wants to know what the rest of it looks like.  
He wants to slowly remove her shirt and…  
He takes a breath and pulls himself out of it.  
“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting,” he says and steps out of her room.  
She smiles at him and fetches a few things from her room before disappearing into her bathroom and then shutting the door.  
The elf stands in her living room and checks his phone for messages and then his email. Fortunately this also gives him plenty of time for his erection to leave him and the mundane routine of work helps clear his head.  
Ahem, he meant the one on his shoulders not…  
He hears her bathroom door open and glances up.  
She leaves her bathroom now fully dressed and having done her makeup and hair. She’s wearing another skirt with black tights that have an intricate pattern cut into them and a soft pink blouse with a white floral motif. Kandomere smiles when he sees her, she’s no less stunning now than she was before.  
She smoothes out a wrinkle in her skirt, “How do I look?”  
His eyes trail over her slowly, “You look beautiful.”  
Her eyes widen and she glances down and smiles wide with her crimson lips.  
He steps towards her and gently brushes her hair over her ear, “I especially adore that red lipstick.”  
She smiles again and he notices she’s wearing a pair of sapphire and white gold earrings and then takes note of her bare neck. A sapphire necklace such as the one she wore in her illusion would look lovely on her…  
“We need to get going,” he says.  
“Right,” she says, “Although I guess my boss can’t be mad at me for being late when he’s the one driving me.”  
Kandomere lets out a small chuckle, “Come on.”

They head out of her apartment door after she rechecks the stove a couple of times and then head down the hall. Kandomere hears more sounds from behind her neighbor’s door and tries very hard to keep a straight face. But his Bright seems to notice something is off and pauses mid-step, “Are you okay-“ she begins.  
And then a man’s voice bellows, “OH TORVA!” and her face goes red and she quickly outpaces him in striding down the hall.  
They both step into the elevator and she’s quiet for a moment.  
“You could um hear that?” she asks quietly.  
Kandomere grimaces and nods, “Yes.”  
She nods and stares forward and is quiet until they’re headed to work together in his car.  
“Oh, why couldn’t Hernández pick me up today? She’s not sick again is she?” she asks worried.  
“No, she just had a doctor’s appointment this morning,” he says with a shake of his head, “Though you could have just listened to the voicemail I left you.”  
“Why couldn’t I just ask you though? I mean you’re already here,” she says with a smile. He spares her a brief glance and smiles at her before turning his attention back to the road.  
Kandomere parks in his usual spot in the parking lot and steps out of the car.  
The woman steps out of her side of the car before the elf can open her door for her, and she must have caught the look on his face, because she shakes her head at him and smiles. He sighs and walks beside her as they both continue on their way towards the office building. He spots Agent McTavish exiting the passenger side of her own car and starting to say her goodbyes to her husband in the driver’s seat in Dwarvish. His Bright notices McTavish as well and she waves to her and the fiery-haired, dwarven woman waves back and then turns back to her husband.  
When they start to pass the car the elf hears a small voice shout, “HI!”  
He pauses and looks towards the car.  
His Bright notices him stop and stares up at him, “What?” she asks.  
His eyes scan the car and he doesn’t see anyone else, but he can make out a child’s car seat in the backseat, “I thought I heard-“ he begins.  
“HI!” the small voice shouts again, except this time his Bright hears it too.  
The McTavishs’ turns their attention to the backseat and the elf can now see a small hand reaching up as far as possible and waving. His Bright walks around to the right side of the car and McTavish smiles at her and then turns back to her husband again.  
The woman leans down and waves, “Hi,” she responds.  
Kandomere follows her and that’s when he sees a small dwarven girl in the car seat.  
Who smiles and repeats, “Hi,” happy that her greeting was noticed.  
McTavish chuckles a little staring back at her daughter.  
Kandomere smiles at the adorable interaction between the two and then the dwarven girl looks past her to see him and becomes alarmed.  
“LOOK OUT!” she cries.  
Confused the woman turns around and sees him and then turns back to the child, “No, it’s alright it’s just-“ she begins.  
“WATCH OUT FOR THE ELF!” she continues pointing at Kandomere.  
Kandomere’s smile fades and he backs up and out of the child’s view.  
“I’m so sorry,” McTavish apologizes and walk over to her daughter’s window and starts to soothe her, and Mr. McTavish joins her as well.  
His Bright lets out a sigh and moves to stand next to him, “I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”  
“No, I’m certain she did,” Kandomere says, “It’s alright I’m used to people being afraid of me,” he says and begins walking again.

She follows him, “Kandomere, I’M not afraid of you,” she says softly, “Not anymore at least,” she adds in a hushed tone.  
He looks down at her and rests his right hand on the small of her back and leans in towards her ear and whispers, “I know.”  
They enter the building together and then walk past the reception desk to the elevators and step into an empty one. Kandomere lets his hand fall from her back and hang at his side as he pushes the button with his other hand. When the elevator starts moving he notices her glance down at his hand out of the corner of his eye.  
And then she does something surprising.  
She gently slips her hand into his and he looks down at her.  
“Kandomere,” she says softly, “You’re a good man I…I trust you.”  
He smiles softly at her, “I hope to continue to be worthy of that trust.”  
He had never thought such a lovely and kind-hearted woman could exist and yet here she is in front of him, holding his hand no less.  
Kandomere feels his pulse quicken as he strokes her hand with his thumb and then the elevator stops and she slowly releases his hand and steps forward. He follows and rests his hand on her lower back again and she jolts slightly and stares up at him a faint blush coloring her beautiful face. He gives her a toothy grin and she smiles and looks away, but doesn’t protest when they continue walking down the hall together.

*******

You step into the main room and you see Hernández approach you.  
“So are you working with us today?” she asks hopefully.  
“I’m afraid not,” Kandomere answers for you.  
Hernández frowns, “Shame we could use her help today.”  
“Are there any updates on the case?” you ask.  
“Yeah, actually we found a few things, but nothing that leads us any closer, at least not yet,” Hernández explains.  
Kandomere looks at you, “Go ahead and give her the update, it’ll be a minute before I need her,” he says and then smiles at you and you smile back at him.  
He walks off towards the other side of the room and addresses another agent.  
Hernández inhales, “So…we found a couple of the gryphons.”  
“What?! That’s great news!” you exclaim.  
She holds up a hand and closes her eyes and grimaces, “They’re both dead.”  
Your expression quickly morphs into one of horror, “Oh…”  
“Yeah…somebody butchered them for parts, probably to sell them off later,” Hernández continues.  
You shake your head and glance down, “Was there anything…near where you found them that might give us an idea on who did this and where they’re keeping the others?”  
Hernández purses her lips and shakes her head, “We’re still running some samples and fingerprints, could take a while.”  
“Do you think they’ll keep killing them?” you question.  
“Honestly, there’s no way of knowing unless we find more of them like this. Both gryphons were male, but they’re from different regions. One was North-American and the other was European,” Hernández says.  
“So they’re smuggling gryphons in from out of the country too?” you ask.  
“Oh yeah, we already had intel that they had a couple from Africa, it’s what turned us on to their dealings,” Hernández explains.  
You let out a sigh, “And there’s nothing else?”  
She frowns and shakes her head, “That’s how these cases go, sometimes there’s a lot all at once or they’re bread crumbs for months maybe even years.”  
You nod and stare at the blue-haired elf across the room in discussion with a pale, bald, human man and a much younger than him, purple-haired elven man.  
“So he offered to drive you to work today, Hm?” Hernández asks.  
“Hm?” you hum as you turn to stare at her and she cocks her head back in the direction of Kandomere.  
“Oh yeah,” you mutter softly.  
Her eyebrows raise, “Did something happen?”  
Damn, she is an agent.  
“Well….I,” you begin.  
She gasps, “Did you two?” she asks and makes a kissing gesture with her lips.  
“NO. I…actually left something private out and he saw,” you explain quietly.  
Her eyes widen, “Madre de Dios, seriously?” she asks and pauses to glance back at the elf as he finishes his conversation and begins walking in your direction, “I’m sorry but that’s something we’ll need to discuss later. And I want ALL the details.”  
“Okay, but not here,” you insist, “We can talk about it when-“  
“Talk about what?” Kandomere questions.  
You jump a little and put a hand over your heart and then you stare at the elf.  
Kandomere’s brows furrow and he reaches out and grasps your shoulder lightly, “I’m sorry I startled you,” he apologizes as the corner of his mouth lifts up slightly.  
“Please, don’t sneak up on me,” you plead.  
“I just walked towards you at my normal pace,” he says letting go of you.  
“Then maybe a little less quiet,” you say.  
He smirks and you smile and shake your head at him.  
Hernández glances between the two of you, and then gives you a pointed look and a smile. You shoot her a look back and then stare at Kandomere again, who knows something is going on, but understands that it’s personal.  
“Are you ready to get started?” he asks.  
“Yes, Sir,” you answer.  
“You don’t…” he begins and you raise an eyebrow at him and he smiles, “You were being coy.”  
You smile and start to walk towards the elf’s office and he joins you.

When you enter you find a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk while Kandomere retrieves some files from his cabinet. He then sits down at his desk and removes a few photos and hands them to you.  
“This is from the nightclub, it’s an upstairs room that was the meeting place for that elf woman and…” he explains.  
You stare at him and then down at the photos.  
The overly garish room is littered with broken and burnt furniture and there are scorch marks all along the walls.  
“It appears it was some sort of deal involving the mirror,” Kandomere continues.  
“So Nöuthmir was the one who brokered it then?” you ask.  
“Yes,” he responds.  
You take a breath and meet his eyes.  
“And it seems the elven woman is a regular of his,” Kandomere states.  
You furrow your brows at him, “How do you know?”  
“She left a platinum ring at the scene filled with venom that we had identified this morning as Basilisk venom,” Kandomere explains.  
“And the Broker had a supply on hand and said it could be contained by platinum,” you say sifting through the photos again until you come across a well-crafted ring shaped like a serpent.  
The elf nods, “Precisely.”  
“You know for CERTAIN that the ring belongs to her?” you ask.  
Kandomere’s brows knit together and he stares at you thoughtfully, “Yes…the ring is far too small for a man and it was caught on a torn satin glove.”  
“Do you still have it?” you question.  
He tilts his head at you, “What do you have in mind?”  
You set the photos down on his desk, “Kandomere, I can use that ring to track her. We could find her wherever she is right now.”  
Realization dawns on his face, “Would it be enough?”  
“If she regularly buys Basilisk venom to fill a custom-made platinum ring then this ring is VERY personal to her and that’s more than enough for a trail,” you explain.  
The door opens and you turn to see Montehugh enter, “Hey, Boss, you get started without me? I’m crushed. Oh hey, Princess.”  
Kandomere looks from Montehugh to you, “Inform him of what you just told me.”  
“I can use this ring,” you explain holding up the photo, “To track that elven woman down.”  
“This that same spell you used to find the amulet?” Montehugh asks.  
You nod.  
“Shit! We already have enough evidence to arrest her and this way it cuts out a lot of the shit in the middle,” Montehugh says.  
“It does indeed,” Kandomere confirms and stretches out a hand and you give him the photo back.  
“Do you have anything belonging to…” you begin hopefully.  
“No,” Kandomere answers fixing you with a forlorn look, “We do not.”  
You shrug your shoulders, “I figured it didn’t hurt to ask.”  
“You know the timing on this couldn’t have been more perfect, “Montehugh begins, “Because we got a bunch of agents’ fully decked out, sitting on their asses, twiddling their thumbs waitin’ for a dragon attack that ain’t comin.’”  
“We’ll have to make arrangements, but it can be done,” Kandomere says.  
“What do you think tomorrow night?” Montehugh questions.  
“Tomorrow? Don’t we need to do reconnaissance or something?” you ask.  
“We need to move as quickly as possible lest she get wind we’re after her, a spell like this will likely only work once. Besides you’ll be able to lead us straight to her, there’s no guesswork to be had,” Kandomere continues.  
You nod, “Alright just show me where you’re keeping the ring and I’ll point the way.”

*******

Kandomere parks his car next to the bookshop and steps out.  
He walks up to the door and opens it and a bell above him rings as he enters. The older, orcish woman behind the counter looks up from her book and he can see her steel herself against him as her brows furrow.  
“Ah, you must be Kandomere, yes?” she asks in a raspy voice.  
He gives a polite nod, “Yes.”  
She marks her spot in her book and reaches behind the counter and pulls out the blue and silver embossed book and Kandomere has to mask his excitement.  
“Was this the book you wanted?” she asks.  
He stares at the book and can read clear as day the title, “A Moonlit Courtship.”  
“Yes, it is,” he says with a small smile.  
The orc woman eyes him for a moment perhaps surprised that he would smile at all. She starts punching in the number for the book and his eyes drift towards the small, spinning stands of items on the counter, and he turns one on his left out of curiosity.  
The old woman pauses to stare at him, “Some of those are discounted,” she remarks and then finishes punching in the number.  
The stand is full of enamel pins, mostly sports teams and the like and Kandomere turns it one final time and sees a stack of The L.A. Dragon and The Northern Light pins, a solo one for each and then one of them both together in flight. He also notes there are stickers covering them saying that they’re seventy-five percent off.  
“Could you perhaps add one of each of these?” he asks removing three pins and placing them down on the counter.  
She inhales and slides them over the counter to herself, “Sure, no one else is buying them. Not anymore.”  
She rings up the extra items, “That’ll be two hundred and twenty-nine dollars and seventy five cents.”  
He pulls his wallet out and hands her two hundred and forty dollars in cash, and she takes it from him and briefly holds a light over the hundreds and the elf’s brows raise. Kandomere can honestly say he’s never had anyone doubt his money was real before, although in this part of town she probably can’t be too careful. Satisfied she puts the money in the register and counts out his change and then the bell for the door rings.  
“Hey, Ma, do you know where-“ a gruff voice begins.  
Kandomere lifts his head and inhales and then straightens, he knows that scent and he heard that voice earlier today. He calmly turns to face the orc man who had just walked in and he’s displeased to see him wearing Fogteeth colors.  
“YOU!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!” the orc man demands.  
Kandomere stands his ground as the orc stomps towards him.  
“BAH!” the old orc woman shouts and waves a hand off at the orc man.  
Who steps back bewildered, “But Ma!”  
“No, buts Franklyn! I’ll not have you chasing off my customers!” she scolds him.  
The orc, Franklyn grits his teeth and glances between his mother and Kandomere before finally relenting, “FINE! But if I catch your ass on the street!”  
“You’ll what, Franklyn?” Kandomere questions.  
The orc squares his shoulders, “FRANK.”  
The orc woman finishes collecting his change and hands it to him.  
“Thank you,” Kandomere says.  
“Would you like a bag?” she asks.  
“Perhaps one for the smaller items?” he asks.  
She holds up a finger and bends down and pulls out a paper bag no more than four inches tall and puts the pins into it.  
Frank scoffs, “Figures an elf would want dragon merch after they attacked the city and betrayed us all.”  
Kandomere retrieves his items and stuffs his wallet and the pins safely back inside his inner coat pocket.  
“’THEY’ didn’t do anything it was only Angelo,” Kandomere states.  
Frank crosses his arms and the elf watches as his nostrils flare rapidly and his pupils shrink for a moment and then he narrows his eyes.  
And Kandomere knows that this orc who has been inside his Bright’s apartment, no doubt recognizes his scent.  
“You. You’re that elf fed,” Frank says quietly.  
“And what if I am?” Kandomere questions lowering his voice.  
“If you are then you need to stop harassing helpless women,” Frank says.  
Kandomere takes a breath, “I am not ‘harassing’ her, I’m Protecting her.”  
“A likely story, you elves can get away with anything,” Frank says.  
Kandomere clutches his book tightly and then stares down at it.  
This orc is testing his patience, but he remembers what his Bright had said and he takes a slow breath to steady himself.  
Frank’s words have merit, this anger isn’t just coming from nowhere.  
Besides, Kandomere knows from experience how difficult it is to prosecute an elf for their crimes. Shy of being a dark cult hellbent on remaking the world after burning the old one, too many have simply walked because of their ability to afford expensive lawyers.  
“I would never harm her,” Kandomere says quietly as he meets the orc’s gaze.  
Frank stands more than half a foot taller than the elf and as such he has to stare up at him.  
“Oh well forgive me if I don’t believe you,” Frank says.  
Kandomere takes a slow and deliberate breath, “I swore to Her and her Mother that I would keep her safe and take care of her. A promise I intend to keep.”  
Frank’s mother looks up from her book and stares at her son and the elf.  
Frank slowly uncrosses his arms and eyes the elf.  
Orcs don’t take oaths very lightly, especially oaths of protection.  
“What good is the word of an elf?” Frank questions.  
“To you? It might as well mean nothing at all, but to her…it means everything,” Kandomere says.  
Frank’s eyes glance to the side briefly before slowly drifting back to the elf, “You were in her apartment last night. I could smell you all up and down that hallway and in the elevator too. Must have been in there awhile, huh?”  
“She was upset,” Kandomere says.  
“Oh so you were just consoling her, my mistake,” Frank remarks.  
“You don’t understand the situation nor am I going to explain it to you, but if you must know all we did was watch some shitty tv shows. It was just to make her laugh,” Kandomere says.  
“Either way, you start causing trouble in MY NEIGHBORHOOD it won’t just be me you’re dealing with,” Frank warns.  
Kandomere is not the least bit frightened by an orc gang, considering all the shit he’s dealt with and is currently dealing with.  
Nevertheless he gives a small, curt nod, “I understand.”  
“Good,” Frank says.  
And then the orc steps to the side finally leaving the exit clear.  
Kandomere slowly steps forwards, cautious that a wrong move might be considered an attack…when there’s the sound of something hitting a wall followed by a loud crash to the floor and the elf spins around.  
He sees a pile of books now strewn about the floor that had been previously resting on the top shelf and he also notices a football now lying on the floor and relaxes.  
“(AH! Boy what did I tell you about throwing that in my store?!)” the older orc woman scolds in Orcish.  
A young orc boy not yet in his teens walks down the stairs begrudgingly all too aware he’s in trouble.  
“(Sorry, Nana,)” he apologizes.  
“(Pick that up right now!)” she demands.  
The boy grumbles to himself and starts picking up the books.  
While the orc woman walks around from behind the counter to stand next to him and watch him with her hands on her hips.  
Kandomere turns back and sees Frank staring him down, “Is he yours?” he asks.  
“Nah, he’s my sister’s kid,” Frank responds.  
Kandomere turns once more to stare at the child as he lifts a stack back onto the shelf as the orc matriarch nods.  
Frank is the boy’s uncle.  
There are a lot of elves that aren’t overly fond of children or even young children and even his elven friends, the few he has outside of work, have given him poor advice on the subject of being an uncle. He doesn’t know if Frank would be willing to offer any, but he’s a little desperate.  
He wants his nephew to like him.  
And if that means being in an awkward conversation to get some real advice on what children are like then so be it.  
He turns back to Frank, “What’s it like being an uncle?” Kandomere questions.  
The orc seems genuinely surprised and put off by the question, “What the fuck?! Why do you want to know?”  
Kandomere glances down briefly, “My eldest sister is going to have her baby soon, she’s the first of my siblings to have a child, and I don’t know how to be an uncle.”  
Frank stares at him thoughtfully for a moment, “Um…just take care of ‘em. Watch the kid when your sister and her husband need an extra hand. Play with the kid, make sure they got snacks and such, it’s pretty easy really.”  
“Alright,” Kandomere says nodding, “Anything else?”  
“Listen to them. Even if they’re little, just listen, you can often find out what’s wrong by letting them talk, but the trick is YOU gotta be willing to,” Frank says pointing a finger at the elf’s chest, “You’re they’re family, they just want you to be there for them and understand.”  
Kandomere blinks a few times, “I…thank you. That’s the best advice I’ve received so far.”  
Frank gives a small nod, “You’re welcome. It’s not hard to be the kid’s favorite uncle.”  
Kandomere huffs, “I’ll be his only uncle.”  
“See? They’re you go, you can’t mess up, just remember to do right by him,” Frank says.  
Kandomere stares out the window past the orc at the dimming light.  
“Thank you again,” Kandomere says.  
“Sure,” Frank says in a monotone voice and crossing his arms again, seeming rather confused by the turn of events.  
“(May your fires never grow cold,)” Kandomere says switching to Orcish.  
Frank’s eyes widen and Kandomere can feel the eyes of the other orcs on his back.  
He hopes he didn’t sound too formal, it is an older phrase.  
The orc blinks and says, “(May no beast ever set upon you.)”  
Kandomere exits the shop finally and returns to his car.  
Careful to set the book in the passenger’s seat and he smiles at it.  
And then he starts the car.

*******

You’re washing dishes after getting home from work, the elf having dropped you off again, and you’re finishing rinsing out Torva’s glass dish that the lasagna was in. You set it aside and rinse a few more things in the sink out and then your eyes slowly drift back to the dish. You glance up at where the invisible shoebox is and you smile. Setting the remaining dishes out to dry, you grab a towel and dry out Torva’s glass pan and set it on the opposite counter and then grab the step stool and retrieve the shoebox.  
You open it and pull out your Aunt’s recipes and find one for a brownie mix.  
You stuff the rest of the recipes back into the envelope and then place them back in the box and return it to the ceiling. Then you take a moment to read through the recipe and pre-heat the oven and start pulling out ingredients. You spray the pan with cooking spray and measure everything and then bring out a glass bowl to put them in and mix them together.  
Fortunately you went shopping recently and bought some things to make sweets.  
After you’re done mixing everything you pour the mix into the pan, but the pan’s smaller than you thought and you have some batter leftover. So you take a minute to look for another suitable glass dish small enough for the remaining brownie mix and fill it with the rest. Once you have them both placed in the oven you set a timer on your phone.  
Perfect!  
You’ve been wondering how to properly thank the people who’ve been helping feed you and what better way than to make something for them! You step into the living room and sit down on the couch and curl up with your romance novel again and start to read through it from the beginning this time. You should probably read one of the fairytales instead, but you just love this one so much!  
It may be a fictional love story, but it’s just so romantic.  
And the elven love interest kind of reminds you of Kandomere…well only a little bit.  
Kandomere is much more stern and clearly is no stranger to danger with how level-headed he acts all the time. Although he seems to have lost some of his calm demeanor with you especially considering all that’s happening with the amulet. You appreciate that he’s been so worried about you, you’re trying yourself not to panic over what’s going to happen and if Kandomere wasn’t here…  
You don’t know what you would do.  
Your phone starts vibrating and it shakes you out of your thoughts and you grab it off the coffee table, only it’s not the timer that went off. You don’t recognize the number on the screen and you tentatively answer it, but say nothing.  
“Hola,” a familiar voice says, and when you don’t answer right away, “Hello? You there?”  
“Hernández?” you ask.  
“Hey there she is, and come on I told you to call me Gabriela,” Hernándezsays.  
“Oh sorry, did you need something?” you ask.  
“Yeah I need you to tell me what happened with Kandomere earlier,” she says.  
You squeeze your eyes shut, “Oh now?” you groan.  
“Si, now TELL MEEE,” she insists.  
“Ok, so I was reading…a romance novel before bed right?” you question setting the book back down on your coffee table.  
“As one does, go on,” she says.  
“And at some point I fell asleep, and…I had a dream,” you continue.  
“A steamy dream?” she asks.  
“Yeah, and then-“ you begin.  
You hear shouting on the other end of the line and then Hernández leans away to shout back in Spanish. You’re half-worried that it’s the elf somehow because he speaks Spanish, but then you realize that the voice is feminine and couldn’t be his deep, attractive voice.  
“I’m sorry, but my girlfriend wants to listen in, is it okay if I put you on speaker?” Hernández asks.  
You open and close your mouth and think for a moment.  
“Sure,” you say.  
You wait a moment and then you hear Hernández say, “Alright go ahead.”  
“Hola, como estas?” a woman’s voice asks.  
“Uh…” you mutter.  
“Amor, she can’t speak Spanish,” Hernández says.  
“Ah, sorry I said hello how are you?” the woman repeats.  
“Oh good. How are you?” you ask.  
“I’m doing great thanks for asking,” she says.  
“This is my girlfriend Josefina,” Hernández introduces.  
“So what’s this about an elf?” Josefina asks.  
“Right, should I start from the beginning or just continue where I left off?” you ask.  
“Hold on,” Hernández says and then you hear the two have a quick conversation in Spanish, “Alright start from the dream.”  
“Okay, so I had a dream that was basically a sex scene from the book only it was Kandomere instead,” you explain.  
“Right,” Hernández says.  
“And when I woke up I was…let’s say aroused…” you trail off.  
“Yep, yep. Go on…” Hernández prods.  
“Ooh does this sort of thing usually happen?” Josefina asks her girlfriend.  
“Wait for it,” Hernández says.  
“So I went to grab my vibrator and then something else weird happened that I’ll have to tell you in person….AND THEN I took a shower…and maybe thought of him you know…during?” you continue.  
You hear a loud, slow clap, “NICE. So when’s the wedding?” Josefina asks.  
“WHAT? NO!” you exclaim.  
Hernández lets out a giggle snort, “YES! I love you so much.”  
Josefina laughs as well and Hernández has to take a minute to shush her between her own laughing fits.  
“IT’S NOT FUNNY!” you insist.  
“It’s pretty funny,” Hernández says.  
You let out an exasperated sigh.  
Hernández finally starts to calm down, “Didn’t you say,” she takes a breath, “He saw it when he came to your apartment?”  
“Wait, he was watching? Damn, you guys move fast,” Josefina jokes.  
“NO!! I set it on my nightstand and when he came into my room he saw it!” you exclaim.  
“He was in your bedroom too?!” Josefina questions, “And you say nothing happened?”  
“He wasn’t in there for that! It was…for another reason…” you trail off.  
Josefina’s still laughing, but Hernández catches your words and shift in tone, “Josefina!”  
“What?” she asks.  
There’s silence on the other end and you press your hand to your face, your skin having become really warm from embarrassment  
“Oh I’m sorry,” Josefina apologizes quietly, “If you say you didn’t sleep together then you didn’t.”  
You exhale slowly, “Thank you. And we didn’t.”  
“But you DID have a dream that you did?” Josefina asks.  
“Yes, and then he saw my sex toy.”  
Both of them try and stifle a laugh.  
“I mean it is kind of funny that an uptight elf saw your sex toy,” Hernández says.  
You let out a small chuckle, “I guess it kind of is.”  
You hear your timer go off and remove the phone from your ear and stop it.  
“Hold on I gotta take something out of the oven,” you say and then you walk back to the kitchen. You don a pair of oven mitts and remove both brownie pans and set them on top of your stove to cool.  
“Alright, I’m back,” you say switching off the oven, “You know it’s even funnier because afterwards we walked down the hall and heard my neighbors having sex.”  
Josefina lets out a laugh, “Oh my God.”  
“Alright, I’m going to let you go so you can eat. I just had to hear that before we went out to dinner,” Hernández says.  
“And by that she means, she burned dinner so now we have to go out,” Josefina says.  
“Listen, I tried to make a romantic candle-lit dinner-“ Hernández begins.  
“I know and it was really sweet of you, but unfortunately you’re a horrible cook and also keeping it covered with paper towels is a fire hazard,” Josefina says.  
“We were out of foil! I thought it would work!” Hernández exclaims.  
“Listen, Mi Alma, I didn’t fall in love with you because of your atrocious cooking skills,” Josefina says.  
“One might say it was in spite of it,” Hernández jokes.  
Josefina giggles.  
“Ahem…goodnight, I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” Hernández says.  
“It was nice talking to you,” Josefina says.  
“Goodnight you two, oh and Gabriela don’t forget to give your girlfriend a goodnight kiss,” you tease.  
Hernández makes a strangled sound and you wish you could see the look on her face, but Josefina’s laughter is enough to clue you in.  
Hernández hangs up the phone and you chuckle to yourself.  
She teases you so much about Kandomere that it’s good to know she’s not immune to her own medicine. 

You stuff your phone back into your pocket and after the brownies are cooled off you sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and then you wrap the dish in foil and slip on a pair of shoes. Grabbing your keys, you step out of your apartment and walk down the hall and knock on Torva’s and Frank’s door. After a moment you hear footsteps approach the door and then it opens, “Oh hi,” Torva greets, “Did you need something?”  
“I just wanted to thank you again for the lasagna you brought me the other day and to return your dish,” you say holding it out.  
“Oh, you’re very welcome,” she says and takes it from you and stares at it and her nostrils flare briefly and her eyes widen.  
She lifts up the foil and peers at the brownies.  
“They’re homemade. There’s caramel in the center and powdered sugar on top,” you explain.  
“That’s very sweet of you,” Torva says.  
“I wanted to show how much I really appreciated you both for helping me out,” you continue.  
“Hey Torva! Who’s at the door?!” Frank calls.  
“Just our neighbor!” Torva calls back.  
You hear more footsteps and then the orc man steps into view behind his girlfriend and spots you, “Oh hey!”  
“She made us some brownies,” Torva says holding up the dish.  
Frank gasps and lifts up the foil to examine them and then his nostrils flare, “You didn’t put anything ‘Special’ in these did you?” he asks.  
Your brows furrow together and you frown, “Just caramel?”  
“Franklyn, they’re just normal brownies,” Torva states narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend.  
“Good, cause I know some people are into that,” Frank says and holds up his hands, “I don’t have a problem with it if it’s something you enjoy, it’s just not something I partake in.”  
You stare at him for a moment and then glance down the hall before leaning in, “Are you asking if I put weed in the brownies?” you whisper.  
“Yeah,” he whispers back.  
“NO,” you whisper shaking your head.  
“Franklyn, can’t you smell there isn’t any?” Torva asks.  
“Actually no, my nose is a little runny right now from all the spices floating around in the kitchen,” Frank says.  
“You know if you chew gum while you’re in there it’ll help,” you offer.  
“Really? Even if I’m cutting onions or peppers?” he asks.  
You nod.  
“Huh. I’ll have to try that,” Frank muses.  
“Anyway this recipe was one of my Aunt’s, and I hope you like it,” you say.  
Torva smiles, “I’ll let you know what I think of it and…maybe later we could trade recipes?”  
“I’d like that,” you say with a smile.  
Frank starts to reach his hand towards the brownies, but Torva pulls them away from him, “Not until after supper.”  
“Aw not even one?” he asks.  
“You and I both know you’ll eat the whole dish and still call it one,” Torva says.  
Frank shrugs, “Okay maybe I would.”  
“Bye you two,” you say backing away.  
“Bye,” they both say.  
“Oh hey by the way,” Frank says.  
“Yeah?” you question.  
“That elf is weird. Real weird,” Frank says.  
“Oh ok,” you mutter confused.  
They finally shut their door and you return to your apartment.  
You wonder what brought that up?

*******

Kandomere steps into his bathroom and closes the door.  
Running his fingers through his hair, he sighs, and then begins slowly undoing the buttons on his dress shirt. He slips it off and folds it up and sets its on the counter and catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His eyes are drawn to the left side of his chest and his fingers trail over the jagged scar above his heart. He feels the prickling of his chest hair starting to grow back and frowns, it never grows right anymore.  
He’ll have to wax it again soon.  
He inhales and removes his pants next and folds them up and sets them on the counter as well. And then he slips off his underwear and tosses it into the hamper and opens the door for the shower. He grabs a washcloth from one of the open-shelved cubicles and steps into the shower and closes the door. He hangs the washcloth on the handle on the inside of the shower door and turns the water on. Kandomere stands outside of the spray as he adjusts the temperature and then steps into the water and turns around.  
He hums in approval as the warm water runs down his back, soothing his tired muscles. The elf tilts his head back and lets the water cover his face and then dips his head forward and the water falls down his face.  
He wets his hair enough and then applies shampoo and washes it out.  
Next, he applies conditioner and lets it sit for a moment as he wets his washcloth and rubs the bar of soap in it. He lathers his body with it top to bottom and then sets the washcloth back on the handle. He steps back into the water and rinses himself off and then he rinses out the conditioner.  
He runs his fingers through his hair and smiles.  
He scratches his scalp lightly with his nails and sighs in content.  
He continues down to his neck and really digs his nails into his skin and his eyes slip closed as he drags his hand back up his head and then around his pointed ear. His hand moves to his ear and he gently massages the inside of it with his fingers. He moans softly and his other hand goes to his right ear now and does the same. He then scratches his nails along the edges of his ears up to the tips, and then his right hand goes to his already hardening dick.  
When’s the last time he’s done this?  
He could certainly use it.  
Just relieve a little stress…  
He wraps his fingers around himself as he strokes himself slowly. As he grunts from pleasuring himself the memory of the scent of his Bright’s arousal comes to him…and he feels himself get really hard.  
He opens his eyes and stares down as he doesn’t stop stroking himself.  
It would not be wise to…  
It’s hardly appropriate.  
He imagines nipping at her neck and her letting out a small gasp in response.  
Fuck.  
He grips himself tighter and starts pumping up and down his shaft.  
Her body is always warm, would her skin become almost feverish in the throes of lust? It would be a welcome warmth.  
He starts to pump faster.  
He wants to pull down her bra and cover her nipple with his mouth, he growls and pants as he draws close.  
He wants to grip her hips and steady her as he helps place her on his cock.  
So close.  
He’ll tease her until she’s screaming his name, just a little more, he pumps harder.  
He wants to kiss her neck tenderly as he also feels her draw close…  
His abdomen tightens and he moans out her name as he finally cums.  
He breathes heavily for a moment and stares at the tiled floor of the shower.  
That was so good.  
The elf exhales and straightens.  
He does find the woman attractive, he can’t deny that.  
Her scent even without her being aroused is the best he’s ever smelled, and she’s kind, strong, and brave.  
He likes to hear her laugh too and see her smile.  
Smelling her arousal earlier definitely left him with some previously unresolved sexual energy, but he does not wish to lust after her. It would hardly be fair to take advantage of her grief and dire circumstances just so he can bed her.  
She would also hate him for it.  
He…doesn’t want her to hate him.  
Kandomere remembers what she had said about elves bedding humans for fun, because elves’ think they’re easy.  
He will not be one of them.  
He refuses.  
He lets out a sigh and rinses himself off and then turns the water off and steps out of the shower. He wraps a towel around himself and grabs another and pats his hair dry. Kandomere opens the bathroom door and turns out the light and walks into his bedroom. He dries himself off and looks for some clothes and pulls out some underwear and then a dark blue pajama set. The elf stares at the shirt for a moment, he’s still very warm from his shower so he’ll just wear the pants tonight. He slips on his clean clothes and then discards the towels in the hamper. Kandomere then climbs into bed and sets his alarm and pulls the covers back and closes his eyes.

He walks into his room and sees her standing in front of his bed, facing it, “Querida?”  
She turns around and smiles wide at him, “Kandomere.”  
“What are you doing here?” he asks stepping towards her, “Did something happen, are you alright?”  
She places her hands on his chest and he stops and looks down as her hands smooth across his torso, “{Everything’s fine, My Love,}” she says in Övüsi.  
His brows furrow and he slowly wraps his arms around her.  
Her hands move up to his neck, “I just wanted to see you.”  
“I don’t understand,” he says confused.  
She raises her brows and glances back at his bed, “I thought it would be obvious why I’m here.”  
He swallows and her hand caresses his face, “Don’t you want me to stay?”  
“Of course I do I…don’t think I ever want you to leave,” he admits.  
She smiles and tilts her head at him, “{Kiss me.}”  
He leans forwards and captures her lips with his.  
Kandomere slides his hands down her body and down to her thighs and grips them tightly. She jumps into his arms and wraps her legs around him and he steps forwards and falls onto the bed. She starts hungrily kissing his face and neck as he works to remove his clothing. He throws his shirt and pants aside and then pulls her top over her head.  
She digs her sharp, pointed nails into his back.  
He reaches under her and expertly unhooks her bra.  
She pulls it off herself and then tosses it off the bed and he stares at her exposed breasts for a moment and then covers her nipple with his mouth.  
She gasps and her hands move to bury themselves in his hair.  
“Kandomere…” she breathes.  
Her legs begin to wrap tighter around him and she presses her heels into his ass. He massages her thigh and slides his hand further under her skirt.  
Her body is warm…and inviting.  
His fingers stroke her clit through her panties and she gasps some more, he tends to her chest and between her thighs simultaneously, and then slips his fingers under her panties to give her the friction she craves. Her fingers slide under the band of his underwear and she starts to slip them off.  
“I want you. I NEED you. So badly…” she breathes.  
“Then, Amor, you’ll have me,” he answers.  
She smiles wide and helps him slip off his underwear and then he pulls off both her skirt and panties.  
He lines himself up and thrusts into her eliciting a small moan from her.  
He sets a good pace and she moans and whines with each thrust.  
Kandomere buries his face in her neck and covers her with kisses and then proceeds to mark her with his teeth. He feels her fingers move to his ears and he pulls back and groans in pleasure. He holds her hips with one hand and reaches towards one of her ears with the other and caresses her and her moans get louder.  
He increases his pace and lets go of her ear.  
“{Harder,}” she says.  
Kandomere thrusts harder.  
The woman wraps her arms around him and leans towards his ear, “Just a little more…” she whispers pressing her lips to his ear, “I’m close.”  
Kandomere continues his pacing and then she cries out and his abdomen tightens as his voice joins hers in a shared climax.  
Kandomere collapses on top of her, completely spent.  
And he takes a moment to recover himself.  
They both pant heavily, and Kandomere feels her fingers lightly trail across his back and up to his hair. Slowly, he lifts himself up and props himself up on his elbows and stares down at her.  
She’s smiling at him while her damp hair clings to her face.  
“That was…really good,” she says softly.  
He smiles back and feels her hands move to cup his face, “I quite enjoyed myself as well, Mi Alma.”  
“Kandomere,” she says her thumbs stroking his cheeks, “I…I love you.”  
His eyes widen and his heart leaps.  
He grabs her right hand and presses a kiss to it, “Mi Alma, I-“  
There’s a roll of thunder overhead and Kandomere turns his head to the left to stare at the window with light, grey curtains drawn over them. He can still somewhat see out of them and there’s another flash of lightning as it starts to rain outside.  
He remembers suddenly that his Bright can control the weather and looks down…only to find the space she once occupied empty.  
There’s an even louder clap of thunder and he sits up in bed.

He’s breathing heavily and he goes to rub his eyes when a flash of light illuminates the room for a moment and then he hears thunder. The elf turns to his window and he can hear…rain. He quickly grabs his phone off the charger on his nightstand and dials her number. When he hears the dial tone he stands up and walks to the window and nudges the curtain open with two fingers and looks out to confirm that it is indeed, raining.

*******

You’re staring at Selina’s empty living room and you feel like you’re about to cry, but you don’t know why. You run your hand over the top of Selina’s favorite chair and a tear slips out of your eye and down your cheek.  
And then you hear a familiar voice call your name.  
You spin around and see the elderly, half-elf staring at you concerned, “My Dear, what’s wrong?”  
“Selina!” you cry and rush forward and wrap your arms around her.  
She holds you tightly, “What ever is the matter, Little One?” she asks worriedly.  
You pull back and wipe your eyes, “I…I don’t know.”  
She gently pushes the hair out of your face and gives you a sad frown, “No more tears, Little One, I’m here.”  
You stare at her and her long hair is pulled into a braid and she’s wearing white pants with that purple blouse with unicorns and flowers on it tucked into them.  
“Come, I made dinner,” she says and then turns around and walks into the dining room.  
You frown and follow her.  
You step into the dining room and the table is already set and Selina sits down in her chair. You sit down in your seat and pick up a fork and start eating the vegetables on your plate. Selina sips her tea and then she stares at you and lets out a gentle laugh, “And to think I didn’t even have to bribe you with sweets to get you to eat your vegetables.”  
“What?” you ask.  
She smiles and gestures to a plate of fresh macarons in the middle of the table.  
You gasp and reach for them and then pause, “Can I-“  
“Of course, I made them for you,” Selina says with a wave of her hand and then sips more of her tea.  
You take a couple and bite into them happily.  
“So…tell me about this new boyfriend of yours,” she prompts.  
You almost choke on your macaron, “Boyfriend?”  
“Don’t chew with your mouth full, Dear, and yes tell me about this Kandomere,” she says setting her mug down and propping her elbows on the table and folding her hands.  
You pick up your drink and wash down your food and then clear your throat, “Um…well he’s not my boyfriend for starters, we just work together.”  
“Ah,” she says resting her chin on her hands.  
You frown at her, “Don’t give me that! There’s nothing between us! At all! Nor will there ever be,” you protest.  
She hums.  
“Why do you want to know about him anyway?” you question.  
“Perhaps it is because I am a spymaster’s daughter or maybe it is because I have a right to know about the man who is taking care of my niece. He made you a promise remember?” she asks with a raised brow  
“Well, I-“ you begin.  
“Well, I what?” she asks, “Do you like him?”  
“I mean he’s cute, extremely handsome actually,” you say staring out the window.  
“So you’re saying you don’t have feelings for this cute, extremely handsome elf? The attraction is purely physical?” she questions.  
You pause.  
“I mean he’s….Kandomere’s…” you struggle to say.  
Selina hums again and picks up her mug and takes another sip of tea.  
“Don’t give me that look!” you exclaim.  
“What look?” she asks innocently.  
“That ‘I don’t believe you look!’” you continue.  
“Should I believe you?” she asks with her brows raised.  
You look down and munch on another macaron.  
“I’m sure you’ll decide how you feel about him in due time, and worry not he seems a patient fellow. I’m sure he’ll wait for you,” she says with a mischievous grin and sips more of her tea.  
You huff, “Wait for me? That would imply that he likes me.”  
Selina is quiet, and you sit back in your chair.  
“No,” you say, “No, I’m sure that’s not…” you fall silent again.  
“Are you enjoying the book I gave you?” she asks.  
You stare at her confused and she sighs, “’A Moonlit Courtship?’”  
“Oh, um yes. It’s a little unrealistic,” you say.  
“Yes, but it depicts a romance between a human woman and an elven man,” she says.  
You smile sadly, “Things don’t always turn out like they do in books, Aunt Selina.”  
“True, life seldom turns out the way we planned it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have hope,” Selina says.  
“Hope hurts when it doesn’t come true,” you say tearing up.  
Selina places her hand on top of yours on the table.  
“Yes, it does. It also hurts to love,” Selina says softly.  
“I just don’t want to lose anymore,” you cry softly.  
“I know it’s hard,” she whispers and grips your hand tightly, “I know it’s so difficult to just…keep going. But I know. I KNOW. You’ll get through this, you are so strong and brave and I feel like I don’t tell you this enough,” she continues as she starts to tear up too, “How much you mean to me. You’re all I have left in this world, which is why I’ve done my DAMNDEST to make sure you’ll survive. To prepare you for what lies ahead and it eases my heart to know you won’t be alone in that final battle, that you have others now to watch over you for me.”  
Tears are sliding down your cheeks now.  
“I wish I could’ve seen this through to the end and you’re right I should have told you sooner. I should have. But you’ll have to do this without me,” Selina says.  
You shake your head, “I can’t. Selina, I can’t.”  
“You must. Take my final words to you to heart. You will see this through to the end,” Selina insists.  
You squeeze your eyes shut and then a noise jars you awake.

You sit up in bed and stare around at your darkened room and then over at your aggressively buzzing phone. You pick it up and don’t recognize the number on the screen, but you hit answer anyway and hold it up to your ear.  
“DARLING?! Are you ALRIGHT?!” Kandomere says worriedly.  
You suck in a shaky breath and start sobbing.  
“Darling?! Darling? What happened?” Kandomere questions distraught.  
You take a few heaving gasps for air, “I…I had a dream.”  
“Was it like the ones before?” he asks.  
“NO!” you sob.  
“Shh it’s alright,” he soothes, “Are you hurt?”  
“No,” you manage.  
“That’s good, is there anything…different about your room?” he asks calmly.  
“No, it’s the same,” you sniffle.  
“Alright just take a few deep breaths for me,” he says.  
You take a few breaths and you start to notice that you can hear rain outside.  
“Kandomere, it’s raining,” you mutter.  
“I know,” he answers.  
“You know?” you ask confused.  
“Listen, I’ll be there soon alright? I want you to stay put until I get there, understand?” he asks.  
“I…I understand,” you respond.  
“Good, I’ll be there in thirty minutes, Goodbye, Darling,” Kandomere says.  
“Goodbye, Dear,” you say.  
He hangs up the phone and you clutch it to your chest and run your other hand through your hair. You’ve quieted somewhat.  
The elf’s voice is calming even over the phone.

After a few minutes you stand up and walk to the bathroom to blow your nose and wash your face. You check the time on your phone and then scroll through social media and you see stuff from friends you haven’t talked to in a while from home and how they’re doing. You kill about ten minutes doing that and then you return to your room and find some clothes for work, you want to look presentable if the elf is coming over.  
And you don’t want Kandomere to see you in your nightgown it’s…a little too low cut and reavealing. You put on a pair of white pants, your gray t-strap flats, and a light blue tank top you tuck into your pants and then pick out a blue kimono with pink flowers on it. Once dressed you head to the kitchen and start getting out ingredients, and a skillet, when you hear a knock at the door. You walk to the door, look out and then open it and are greeted with a highly concerned elf.  
He looks you over and his brows pinch together, “May I come in?”  
“Of course,” you say and step aside.  
He walks inside your apartment and you shut the door behind him.  
As you turn to him you notice he’s studying you again, “You’re already dressed,” he states.  
“Well, I do have work today,” you say numbly.  
“Yes,” he says slowly stepping towards you.  
He gets close enough that your chests are almost touching.  
He’s always dressed in his usual attire a three-piece suit, this one is a dark blue with lighter blue pinstripes. His hand touches your cheek and then moves to your jaw and he tilts your chin upwards to stare at him.  
Your eyes meet his piercing, silver gaze and it’s quiet for a long moment.  
Then he leans forwards….and presses a kiss to your forehead.  
And he’s so gentle that you tear up again and he pulls you into an embrace.  
His arms squeeze around you tightly and knowing you won’t hurt him you squeeze him tighter.  
You both stand there silently for a long while.  
Until ultimately Kandomere pulls away first, “How about I make breakfast?”  
You stare up at him, “No, you’re my guest I’ll do it.”  
“I’LL make breakfast,” he says with finality.  
Knowing you can’t argue with him about this, you nod.  
Kandomere steps into your kitchen and you follow him. He makes note of the things you’ve already taken out and starts to cook a couple of omelettes for the two of you. He also cooks bacon and for a little something sweet, cinnamon toast. He asks you about your dream and you tell him, omitting the parts about him, and he listens nodding occasionally.  
“Did it really rain all the way in the elven district?” you ask.  
“It did. Your storm actually woke me up,” he says.  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” you apologize.  
He pauses from cooking to cup your face, “You don’t need to apologize for being sad.”  
“I know,” you say casting your eyes downward.  
You’re holding his jacket for the moment and you stare at the elf’s bare arms where he rolled his sleeves up.  
God, his arms are really muscular.  
And…you notice the hair on his arms are also blue, a much darker blue, but still.  
“Querida,” he says softly.  
You look up at him.  
“Your Aunt was right. You are strong and brave, and…” he trails off as he glances to the side and then back, “One of the kindest people I have ever known.”  
You reach your hand up and cup his face and he leans forwards and rests his head against yours. When you pull back he finishes cooking and then you both grab some plates, fill them with food and head back into the living room.  
You sit on the couch next to each other, your thighs touching one another’s.  
You take your first bite of food and your eyes widen as you chew it. You cover your mouth with your hand and turn to Kandomere.  
“What?” he asks.  
“Kandomere, this is so good,” you say.  
He smiles and glances down, “I just enjoy cooking is all,” he says and takes a bite of his food.  
You swallow your own food, “No, seriously, Kandomere, this tastes like heaven!”  
He smiles wider, a slight blush on his cheeks, “I don’t think anyone’s ever described my cooking like that before.”  
“If you cook for me again, I’ll say it in between every bite,” you say.  
He chuckles, “I would love to cook for you again,” he says and rests his hand on top of your thigh, “Especially if it makes you happy.”  
You smile and glance down as your own cheeks flush.  
You both finish your food and you feel in a lighter mood than when you woke up, though it’s not completely gone.  
But you’re not alone you have Kandomere.  
You both clean up the kitchen and then you hear a knock on your door, and you go to check the door and then you frown at Kandomere. Who seems confused until you open the door and he spots Hernández.  
“Hola, Buenos-“ Hernández begins and stops when she sees the elf.  
“I apologize, Agent Hernández, I neglected to call you this morning to inform you that I was picking up our consultant,” Kandomere explains.  
Hernández tsks, “Man I could have slept in a little today.”  
Then she pauses and takes in Kandomere’s state of undress and gives you a look that says “We’ll talk later.”  
“I’m gonna head to McTavish’s then, see you at work,” she says and then walks back down the hall.

You both finish up in the kitchen and then head out together. As you reach the first floor of your apartment building you hear a voice shout after you. You stiffen in the elf’s arm and he turns to glance behind you both.  
“THINK YOU CAN SKIP OUT ON ME!” the landlord yells.  
You reluctantly turn around finally and that’s when you notice Kandomere on the defensive. Your landlord stops in front of you and the elf starts to move to step between you and you grab his arm.  
He stops but continues to stare at the man now accosting you.  
The landlord gives a suspicious look to the elf and then turns to you, “You’re late on RENT!”  
“I know, I’m going to pay I just-“ you begin.  
“If you don’t pay soon I’m serving you an eviction notice,” the landlord interrupts.  
“You cannot evict her without proper notice,” Kandomere says stepping in front of you anyways, gently untangling himself.  
“I have given her ‘proper notice’ and now she’s due on rent for this month too!” the landlord counters.  
Kandomere’s brows furrow and he looks at you, “{Does he speak Elvish?}”  
“{No,}” you answer.  
“{Why haven’t you paid the rent? Was it not enough money?}” Kandomere asks.  
“{I need to deposit the check you gave me and I haven’t had time because of work,}” you explain.  
He nods in understanding, “She recently had a change of employment and if she was given a couple days she could pay-“  
“If rent doesn’t get paid today I’m serving her an eviction notice,” the landlord warns.  
Kandomere glances to you and then he reaches into his jacket pocket and to your surprise pulls out his checkbook.  
“What if I were to pay for her?” Kandomere asks.  
The landlord eyes the elf and nods, “Alright. If YOU pay it then she can stay.”  
“Kandomere,” you whisper but he’s already writing the number your landlord tells him. He tears the check out and hands it to the man. The landlord waves the check at you, “Your lucky you got a Sugar Daddy Elf to pay your bills,” he says and then he walks off. You stare at him as he leaves, your face now red from embarrassment and then you slowly turn to stare up at the elf. Who looks down at you and doesn’t look nearly embarrassed as you think he should. You turn from him and walk out of the apartment complex and start to look for his car. He quickly strides after you and you shy away from him when his hand touches your back. He sighs and unlocks the car for you as you reach it and you climb into the passenger’s seat. He walks around and opens his door and sits down next to you and closes the door.  
You avoid eye contact with the elf for a moment.  
He sighs, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean for it to be taken that way.”  
You’re silent for another moment.  
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you it was not my intention,” he continues.  
You look at him finally.  
“And for the record I have never nor will I ever be anyone’s ‘Sugar Daddy.’ I don’t even like the idea of being called ‘daddy,’” he says with a grimace.  
You smile a little bit and then stare down at the center console, “I just don’t like the assumption.”  
“I know,” he says and holds out his hand and you gingerly take it and look back up at him, “I have a tendency to spoil my girlfriend, but it’s not because I expect her to do anything in return. It’s simply because I enjoy making her happy.”  
Your eyes widen, “Wait, I’m not-“  
Kandomere’s eyes widen as well, “No, I-“  
Your hand starts to slip out of his, but he clutches your hand with both of his and he presses a kiss to your hand.  
You freeze and stare at him.  
“I simply meant whenever I have a girlfriend, not that you were mine,” Kandomere clarifies.  
You relax a little, “Ok good, you had me worried there for a minute.”  
“I would hope though that dating me wouldn’t be so terrible,” he jokes.  
You smile earnestly, “Kandomere, I’m sure you’d be a lovely date. You’re a perfect gentleman afterall.”  
He smiles and kisses your hand again, “We have some time before work, do you want to stop by the bank then?”  
“Oh um…sure. We can do that,” you say.

You give him a few directions to the bank you frequent and its not long before he pulls into the parking lot.  
“Alright, now if you could just park right here I’ll be right back,” you say.  
“Park? But it’s just a deposit, the drive-thru will be much faster,” he says and he pulls up next to the window.  
“No, that’s not necessary-” you begin as he unrolls his window.  
“Hi, how can I…” the woman at the window trails off as she stares at Kandomere.  
You lean over into view, “Hi,” you greet awkwardly, “I would like to make a deposit.”  
The teller recognizes you and then her eyes shift back to the elf and then she gives you another look that says ‘good job on the hot piece of elf ass.’  
“Yes, if you could put it in the slot,” the teller says.  
You hand everything to Kandomere and he puts it in the slot for you and the teller begins working on your request, occasionally staring back up at the elf in disbelief.  
“So how’s your day going?” she asks.  
“Fine,” you respond.  
“It’s had a rather bad start this morning, but I hope that the day will get better and that maybe it already has,” Kandomere says and looks to you.  
You smile and take his right hand in both of yours and he smiles back at you.  
“You two make a cute couple,” the teller says.  
You stare at her a little shocked and Kandomere retrieves your receipt and card and hands them back to you.  
“Have a nice day,” the teller says.  
“And you as well,” Kandomere says and he drives off.  
Great.  
Now it seems more than one person is going to think you’re having sex with this elf.  
Which might not be so bad if you were actually having sex with him.  
You ride in silence for a minute or so lost in thought.  
“You’re not embarrassed of me are you?” Kandomere asks suddenly.  
“What? No!” you exclaim and the elf winces slightly at the volume of your voice, “Oh sorry,” you apologize quieter this time.  
“You just don’t seem to be happy that I’m accompanying you today,” Kandomere says and you notice there’s a tinge of disappointment in his voice.  
“No, it’s not that, I really enjoy your company,” you insist earnestly, “It’s just not very low profile to have an elf with me in this part of town.”  
And you’re not used to an elf in general being around you this much.  
Especially not one like Kandomere.  
His eyes widen and he spares you a brief glance, “You’re right I should have realized! I’m drawing a lot of unnecessary attention to you, and here I thought I was protecting you,” he says with an exasperated sigh.  
“Kandomere, you’re also taking care of me like you promised,” you interject and then you take a breath, “Look I…”  
He comes to a redlight and stops and looks over at you.  
“I know I haven’t said this enough, but I really appreciate you and everything you’ve done for me,” you pause to wet your lips and blink rapidly, “I’ve never met an elf like you before and I’m really glad I got to know you. I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t here....”  
He reaches a hand out and wipes a tear from your cheek, “Shh,” he quiets, “I’m glad to know you too and for as long as you need me, I’ll be here.”  
You smile at him and he leans forwards and presses his lips to your forehead.  
Kandomere turns back to the road as the light turns green and then he turns on his windshield wipers as it starts to rain again.  
“Sorry,” you mutter.  
“It’s okay, it’s just a little rain,” he says and then you both drive off towards the MTF office.

Once you get there everyone is bustling around the room in an agitated state and in fact there are more people on this floor right now than there usually are. Several people approach Kandomere and give him information and updates. The elf nods and continues on, not breaking stride and giving various orders. Hernández and McTavish intercept you both and Kandomere gently nudges you towards them. You exchange a glance with him and he smiles softly and you smile at him and then follow the two agents.  
“There’s a lot going on today huh?” you ask.  
“Yeah well we don’t like to take any chances with Brights,” Hernández says.  
“Anything could happen,” McTavish adds.  
You nod.  
“So I hear you’re going on the op with us? Nervous?” Hernández asks.  
“A little…okay more than a little,” you admit after she gives you a look.  
“It’s okay to be nervous,” McTavish says.  
“Wait, did I hear that right? Are you two coming on the op too?” you ask.  
“Si, we’re sorta there to help you out in case the Boss gets separated from you,” Hernández explains.  
“Separated?” you question.  
“He might need to take a look at something and have to step away for a moment,” McTavish chimes in quickly.  
“Oh ok,” you mutter.  
“It is dangerous, but we’ve handled worse before,” Hernández continues.  
“How about we step into the break room for a minute and go over some safety precautions real quick,” McTavish says.  
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” you say trying not to let on how nervous you are.  
You follow them both through the throng and then to the hallway and from there into the empty break room. Hernández continues over to the counter with the coffee machine and reaches up into the cabinets and grabs the coffee container and filters and begins brewing some. She grabs a couple of mugs down from the cabinet next and starts to reach for a third.  
“Oh no thanks, I’m good for now,” you say.  
You’re way too nervous for caffeine right now and drinking coffee will only add to it.  
“You sure?” Hernández asks.  
You nod, “Definitely.”  
She puts the mug back up in the cabinet and closes it finally.  
Hernández sets her mug on the counter and turns around to face you, “Alright first things first there are going to be armed agents moving about in whatever building she’s in, and it may seem obvious but Do Not Stand In Front Of Them. They’re not aiming at you, but it’ll throw them off and leave all of you open to an attack from the opposing side. Two, don’t linger in ANY doorways, move through them quickly, people tend to get bottlenecked in them and one well placed attack can take out an entire group.”  
You glance to the side and nod slowly.  
“Am I moving too fast for you?” Hernández asks.  
“No, I…am I supposed to be in the middle of everything?” you question.  
“No, but shit can always go sideways,” Hernández continues, “Third, stay with your team. That’s me, Gwen, Agent Montehugh, and Special Agent Kandomere. And Fourth, listen to your instincts and whatever magical instincts you have they can alert you to danger.”  
McTavish puts a hand on your arm, “Hey, just take a deep breath, we’re going to be with you every step of the way.”  
You inhale slowly, “I know it’s just a lot of pressure.”  
“Yeah, you get used to it after a while,” Hernández says.  
Hernández and McTavish fill their coffee mugs when it’s done brewing and you use some change from your purse to get a water bottle from the vending machine.  
You sit down at the table next to them and sip it.  
Your stomach’s starting to churn from how upset you are all of a sudden of potentially having to face down another Bright. All things considered it didn’t end well last time…

The sun’s starting to go down by the time the final preparations have been made. You’ve mostly spent the time with McTavish and Hernández, sitting in an extra chair they pulled up for you next to their desks. And then you spot Kandomere across the room headed toward you with Montehugh in tow. But before he can reach you, he is stopped by a bald, dark-skinned man with a graying beard and he says something to the elf that you can’t hear from this distance. They both look in your direction and then Kandomere turns back to the man and almost reluctantly nods. The man calmly strides away and Kandomere and Montehugh continue towards you.  
That must have been one of the higher ups that everyone keeps talking about.  
Kandomere stops in front of you, his hands in his pockets, ”Are you ready?”  
You nod and stand up, “Yes.”  
Hernández pats your arm, “We’ll be following you there in our car.”  
You nod again and then follow Montehugh and Kandomere down the elevator and then outside to the lab building. 

Once inside Kandomere quickly finds Saerthon who leads you all into another lab that has refrigerators and centrifuges and the like. He pulls out a plastic cup after donning a pair of gloves and with a pair of tongs gently lifts a platinum ring shaped like a snake out of it.  
“There’s a pressure plate inside the band that activates the venom coated barb located inside the snake’s mouth,” Saerthon explains.  
You nod and with an already gloved hand, you gingerly take the tongs from him.  
You take a moment and examine the ring.  
It’s delicate and filled with intricate details that make up the two coils of the snake’s body with the head resting on top and meant to be facing outwards from the wearer. Making it easy enough to prick someone with a cleverly concealed needle.  
You steel your nerves and mutter your spell, “Near or far, to find what is hidden, Even what the world thought it was ridden.”  
As you finish you feel the magic take hold and you can smell every scent in the room. You wrinkle your nose at some of the more acidic and acrid smells from chemicals necessary to work and clean the researcher’s stations. You take another breath and the most wonderful scent you’ve ever smelled enters your nose. It’s a smell that relaxes you and you turn to your left to see Kandomere leaning in towards you, eyeing the ring.  
You look the elf over and inhale again.  
You have to refrain from sighing but the scent is definitely him, and you suddenly realize that it wasn’t his cologne you loved so much, it was the elf’s natural scent. You also realize that elves are very particular with their scents, whereas humans might miss the point of perfumes and colognes and mask their scents, elves do the opposite. They pick only the scents that are most favorable to their taste and their scent, making it stronger.  
It’s no wonder that even you were able to pick up some of it.  
His primarily sandalwood with a hint of vanilla cologne compliments him very well and Kandomere is highly attractive to you right now.  
His eyes shift from the ring to you and his brows furrow in confusion.  
“Kandomere,” you whisper.  
“Yes?” he responds softly.  
“Could you step back a bit, I need to concentrate,” you say softly.  
“Oh, right,” he says slightly embarrassed.  
You realize that you can tell that more from the subtle shift in his pheromones than his actual expression. There was also a shift in his pheromones when he locked eyes with you….  
You exhale and then inhale the scent of the ring and the lingering scent of an overly expensive perfume. You’ll have time to ponder over the fact that Kandomere is your new favorite smell later, but right now you have a job to do. You feel the magic take hold of it’s intended target and you nod to the two agents.  
Montehugh claps his hands together, “Alright! Let’s go find us a witch!”  
Saerthon takes the ring from you and places it in a small paper bag and hands it to Kandomere who gingerly tucks it into his outer coat pocket.  
“In case the trail runs cold,” Kandomere explains.  
You nod and then you all walk outside.  
Shifting the wind from different directions it takes you a minute to pick up the trail, but when you do you feel a strong pull. You’re then ushered into the two agents’ car and Kandomere gets into the driver’s seat and when he pulls out all of the other vehicles filled with agents follow him. You keep your back window rolled down and direct them where to go and the other vehicles spread out for the most part, but you assume they’re still following your car.  
It’s probably a precaution so that they can surround her if you do happen to catch the elven woman out in the open. 

By the time you reach the empty parking lot of some sort of manufacturing facility, it’s already dark.  
“I don’t like the looks of this, shouldn’t there be a night shift in this sorta place?” Montehugh questions.  
“You’re right, have the teams cover all the exits and make a perimeter before moving in, we don’t want her escaping,” Kandomere says.  
The two step out of the vehicle and you follow suit.  
Agents from the other vehicles also step out and a number of them break off into different directions after Montehugh relays the order. McTavish and Hernández approach you and stand beside you while Kandomere and Montehugh try to assess the situation. You look to Kandomere who notices and steps towards you.  
“Can you still?” he asks quietly.  
You nod and then inhale as you lift your head and then lower your head and exhale.  
There’s a very strong pull coming from inside the building, she’s definitely here.  
“She’s somewhere in there,” you answer quietly.  
You stare up at him and his scent washes over you again and you bite your lip to prevent yourself from making any noise. His face is serious as he regards you, but there’s still a softness in his eyes, and there’s a slight tug of the corner of his lips and you smile. Then a foul stench enters your nose and you gag and cover your face with your hand. Kandomere seems confused but turns his attention to the two agents who just walked up.  
A pale, bald human man and a, much younger than Kandomere, purple-haired elf.  
“Agent Murphy, I want your team to move in first with team Delta once we have the exits covered, that’s when you’ll move,” Kandomere orders.  
The bald man nods.  
You stare at the purple-haired elf and his eyes shift to you.  
You inhale lifting your head up and then exhale lowering it again and frown.  
That awful smell is the elf in front of you, and it’s not even because he’s sweaty.  
How can one elf smell so wonderful to you and the next smell so awful.  
He frowns at you as well and his brows pinch together and you can tell from the subtle change in his scent that he’s not happy you just scented him.  
Not that he would know you’re getting an accurate read on him.  
The two step away and after a few moments Agent Murphy’s team and another team that you presume to be Delta move into the building.  
And then you wait.  
You’re not directly part of all the radio chatter and it’s tense being forced to wait until something happens. You notice that there’s also a medical team among the agents gathered.  
“Why are they here?” you ask Hernández quietly.  
“They’ve got antivenom vials for Basilisk venom just in case, Boss didn’t want to take any chances,” Hernández explains.  
You stare over at Kandomere who’s silently standing next to Montehugh, both staring out at the building.  
And it’s quiet when the radio chatter starts to pick up.  
You can’t make out what’s going on, but you know they must have found her.  
There’s an increase in agitation over the radio of the nearby agents and then suddenly there’s screaming on the other end before it goes completely dead. And then you can feel the aftershocks of some kind of magical energy hit you and you know exactly where it came from. Kandomere paces back and forth in front of you and then glances out of the corner of his eye at you.  
His face is hard to read, but he appears to be grappling with a decision.  
The elf motions with a finger for you to come towards him and you do.  
“I will not force you to do this,” he begins with much difficulty, “But should you be willing to counteract her magic?”  
You look from the elf, to up at the building and nod.  
He then turns to Montehugh, “Keep an eye on things until I return.”  
“Sure thing, Boss,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere draws his gun and you follow him with agents McTavish and Hernández flanking you. You enter the darkened building with the three agents and Kandomere glances over at you, “Which way?” he asks.  
You inhale and point down the right side of a hallway and he moves down it.

You follow him carefully through the mill, your heart now pounding in your chest.  
It’s deathly quiet as the four of you maneuver your way down a row of machines with large bolts of fabric nearly as tall as you. It’s hard for you to tell what color they are in the darkness, but they seem to range in shade greatly. The elf in front of you appears to have no trouble seeing where he’s going and you wonder not for the first time, what kind of night vision elves have. You jump when his hand reaches out and stops you from moving forward and you stare up at him. His attention is focused to the left where this particular row ends and there’s open floor before the next one begins. And you notice that there’s light moving about on the floor in front of you and that you can hear…footsteps.  
Kandomere looks back to McTavish and taps his finger on his right ear.  
McTavish nods and Kandomere adjusts his grip on his gun and aims it toward the light.  
“Are there any teams still in position?” McTavish asks in a hushed tone through her earpiece.  
You all hear a crackle of static and then McTavish’s voice repeats from the location of the approaching group and then a voice answers, “Agent Murphy here, Alpha team is still intact and in pursuit, Delta is K.I.A. and Charlie is M.I.A.”  
Except you’re not wearing an earpiece like McTavish so you didn’t hear his voice over the radio, you heard it from around the corner.  
“Alright well don’t shoot we’re around the corner to your right,” McTavish says and nods to Kandomere.  
Kandomere nods back and lowers his weapon and slowly steps out. You see a number of the lights move in his direction but quickly lower upon recognition. The elf then motions for your group to follow and you step out as well and recognize the bald headed man and the purple-haired elf from before.  
“When did you last hear from Charlie?” Kandomere asks.  
“Prior to engaging with the target, the last thing they radioed was that they had caught sight of the elven woman attempting to escape on the other side of this manufacturing line,” Agent Murphy explains.  
The other four agents with the two don’t look at any of you, their guns and attention focused on every other direction in case of an attack.  
“Which is odd, considering that we had cornered her right before she took out Delta with a fire spell,” the other elf says.  
“Do you remember what words she used?” you chime in.  
The purple-haired elf raises an eyebrow at you, “I believe she said something along the lines of the heart of an inferno?”  
You inhale, “An Inferno spell. It’s the same one she used before,” you say turning to Kandomere.  
“And we’re in a building that manufactures large amounts of highly flammable material,” Kandomere states glancing around at all the colored fabric.  
You watch as all the other agents briefly glance around at each other before turning their attention elsewhere.  
“Great,” Hernández says dragging out her syllables.  
“In what direction did she head when you last saw her?” Kandomere questions.  
“You were already headed in the right direction, Sir. I don’t know how though,” Agent Murphy says and stares past the elf at you.  
“Then she can’t have gone far,” Kandomere says.

You all move together with Murphy’s team taking point, since their group is better equipped and you periodically sniff the air to check if you’re on her trail. It’s a pretty straight shot all the way to the other side of the building and there aren’t very many directions she could have gone. Besides up on to the second floor at the opposite end that you can faintly make out in the dim light. As you all start to round another corner of machinery and head towards the end of the conveyer belts, you scent the air one more time…and she’s right on top of you.  
“THERE!” you shout and point to the top of the machine next to you.  
The agents whirl around in the direction you pointed and open fire.  
You hear a curse in Elvish and then an invisible figure leaps off the top of the machine. The agents cease fire and search for their target and start to move forward when you hear chanting, “{All are Vanquished in the Heart of the Inferno.}”  
Your eyes follow the sound of the voice and spot a shimmering form now on top of an adjacent machine and take a deep breath.  
“Turn my breath from hot to cold, And when I exhale make the force a hundredfold,” you mutter and you exhale and your Frost Breath spell collides with the fireball and it explodes sideways.  
The elven woman shrieks and is forced to retreat once more as the machinery she was perched upon is suddenly wreathed in flame. You start to follow her when Hernández scoops an arm around your midsection and pulls you back. You stare back at her confused and she mouths, “Rule number one,” and then points at the armed agents.  
Whom you almost stepped in front of.  
“Right,” you mouth back.  
The agents quickly give chase to the fleeing elven woman and your group follows close behind. “There she is!” someone shouts and the agents focus their fire on a now visible elven woman who is taking off in the opposite direction…of your trail…  
You turn your head to the right and stare at a metal staircase leading up to the upper level. Curious you fall behind the group and follow her scent as you cautiously walk towards the staircase. You realize as you get closer that the sounds of the group have faded and you glance behind you to find, that you’re now alone. You swallow and stare back at the staircase and then up at the catwalk above you connecting the two sides of the upper level.  
And in the silence you hear footsteps coming from above you.  
You swirl the wind around you and propel yourself upwards.

And you land atop the catwalk and the elven woman turns to face you.  
You meet her silvery gaze and she tilts her head to the side, “It seems you have elemental magic as well,” she says.  
You glance at your hand now gripping the railing and you see that ice has formed where your hand is, you quickly let go and look back at her.  
She reaches her right hand out to the side and makes a swirling motion and pulls it in front of her and flame flares to life and follows her movement.  
“You and I are alike in that regard,” she says.  
She closes her hand into a fist and the fire snuffs itself out and as it dissipates you notice she has platinum rings adorning her index finger and middle finger that look like the coils of a snake’s body.  
“Missing a ring are we?” you ask.  
Her eyes shift to her hand, “Yes, you wouldn’t happen to have seen it?”  
“I think it’s in evidence right now,” you lie.  
She frowns, “I would like to get that back.”  
“The ring? Or the venom?” you ask.  
She smiles, “Both actually. They go with my aesthetic,” she says and gestures to her outfit with her other hand.  
An outfit that you briefly glimpsed is entirely crimson red, from her leather jacket, her high-necked top, pants, and heeled boots. She has a long necklace that has what appears to be a snake skull, also made of platinum, hanging from it and a dagger sheathed on her leg, and in a pouch on her belt with the handle sticking out…is a familiarly shaped object.  
“Is that what the mirror’s for?” you question.  
“Why of course! What else would it be used for?” she asks innocently.  
You eye her suspiciously.  
“You don’t believe me do you?” she asks almost sounding hurt.  
“No,” you state.  
She smiles wide, “Honestly, though it is. I’ve been looking for a key accessory and what better than a hand mirror? In my line of work accessories are key to any ensemble, they just really tie everything together.”  
“But you can’t actually use it as a mirror,” you counter.  
“That’s not the point,” she says waving a hand.  
You shake your head.  
“And what about you?” she asks.  
“What about me?” you ask hesitantly.  
“Don’t you match your clothing and accessories to your element? What with the soft blues of your top and the white pants, or how about the sapphire earrings and…white gold?” she asks incredulously.  
“Yes…” you say.  
She nods, “Blue for the sky and surrounding it the silver and white for…ice?”  
You knit your brows together, “My favorite color is blue.”  
“And our favorite color is red,” she says and snaps her fingers and a small flame appears on her fingers, “Do you really think it’s a coincidence?”  
You start to glance away and then stop yourself.  
It’s probably not wise to take your eyes off of her.  
“By the way I love that little rhyming thing you do,” she adds pointing a finger at you, “So very creative,” she continues propping her right elbow up on her other hand.  
“Thank you, I took some inspiration from some older styles of magic,” you say.  
She nods, “I get what you mean, I love to take inspiration from anywhere I can find it, for both my personal take on magic and when it comes to my wardrobe.”  
“You know I feel like a lot of people don’t get that I can’t just do everything with a wave of my hand,” you say.  
“Right? It’s not like I have a wand and even that requires SOME discipline if I don’t want to lose my hand,” she says.  
There’s movement out of the corner your eye and you glance down and see a couple of MTF agents searching the room down below you. You reach your hand over to the railing with the ice and brush a piece of it off. The purple-haired elven man from earlier spots it and lifts his head to stare at you and then motions silently at the other agent. You glance back at the elven woman and she’s looking down at them as well and her gaze shifts back to you, “They’ll get rid of you, you know.”  
You stare at her silently.  
“The moment you’re no longer of any use to them, they’ll just toss you aside, it’s what men do,” she continues.  
You shake your head, “No, they wouldn’t do that, Kandomere, wouldn’t-“  
“So his name is Kandomere?” she asks interrupting you.  
“What?” you ask your eyes now wide.  
“Kandomere is the elf who took our key and escaped me that night?” she questions and there’s now a sinister gleam in her eyes as she bares her teeth.  
No.  
You have to keep her from hurting him.  
“He didn’t take your key, I did,” you say.  
“What?” she growls.  
“He’s not a Bright, do you really think a non-Bright could have found it?” you demand.  
She glances to the side, considering that for a moment, “No, I suppose not.”  
“Didn’t you ever wonder,” you continue stepping towards her, “How they survived that night? It’s because of me!”  
She straightens, lowering her still flaming hand, and sizes you up.  
“I saved them from the truck. I saved them from your inferno spell. I did everything,” you finish.  
“In that case,” she says and her hands shoot forwards, but you were prepared for this and clap your hands together in front of you and the fire she hurls towards you gets blown to the sides by a gust of wind.  
When it dissipates you see her run down the catwalk and you chase after her, she then throws open a door on the other side and disappears through it. You rush after her and head through the doorway as well. You run down the hallway and she spins to face you and lashes out with her dagger and you dodge her strike.  
Forming ice on your fingers, you claw at her and rip her jacket and she staggers back from you. And then suddenly you feel a hand grip your left arm and bend it at an odd angle and spin you around. You struggle against the elf holding you, but she wrestles your other arm back behind you as well.  
The elven woman holding the dagger strides around to stand in front of you and then tucks the blade back into it’s sheath. Confused, you stare at the right hand of the individual holding you and notice she’s wearing a full set of rings, including the one with the venom. Then you stare at the identical elven woman in front of you and she’s missing her Basilisk venom ring and her jacket is torn.  
“{So who is this sister?}” the woman holding you asks.  
“{There’s been a change of plans, this is the one we want,}” the one in front of you says.  
Then she removes mirror from the black, velvet bag tied to her belt.  
She brings the mirror up to your face as the other elven woman holds you still as you try to turn away or close your eyes and as she twists your arm again nearly breaking it your eyes come open. The Medusa’s Mirror levels with your face and you stare horrified at your own reflection and then there’s a flash of green light....

*******

The elven woman they’re pursuing cuts off their path with a swath of flame and then does a backflip onto a nearby machine. She’s already done an excellent job of separating half their group from one another and now crouches from her vantage point and smiles wide. Kandomere raises his gun and fires at her and she puts up a hand and it collides uselessly against a crimson shield.  
Her eyes shift back to the way they had come and then rest on him again.  
He pauses and then inhales sharply….  
NO.  
He starts to turn, but she stretches out both her hands and surrounds them all in flames, cutting off their escape. Kandomere snarls and then glares in fury at the elven woman and fires again and she leaps effortlessly down to the ground and sprints away. And even in the dark Kandomere can see her making her way to the opposite side. He stares at the flames in front of him and holsters his gun and then leaps over them and heads for the elven woman now bounding up the staircase.  
He should have noticed that he and his Bright had been separated.  
How could he have let this happen?!  
He reaches the staircase when he sees a flash of green light come from behind a doorway at the top of the stairs, and fear grips his heart.  
No, it can’t…  
He bolts up the stairs and through the door and into the hallway and sees his Bright being turned to stone as the two elven women giggle at her misfortune.  
Kandomere growls and raises his gun.  
He fires off a shot at the elven woman holding the mirror and the mirror shatters in her hand and she spins around to face him. He fires another shot into the second elven woman’s left leg whose holding his Bright. She screams and releases the human woman and the first elven woman rushes to aid her sister. He continues to fire at them as he advances on them and the uninjured one mutters something under her breath in Övüsi and a crimson shield forms between him and them. His bullets collide uselessly against it but he continues to harry them anyway. When they duck behind a corner out of sight and he hears them continue on only then does he lower his weapon and rush to aid his Bright. 

She’s holding perfectly still as the stone creeps it’s way across her arms and torso.  
His eyes widen in horror as he stares at her.  
There are tears streaming down her face as she locks eyes with him and he wets his lips.  
“Kandomere, I’m scared,” she sobs.  
“I know. I know, it’ll be alright,” he says holstering his gun and cupping her face in his hands.  
She squeezes her eyes shut and draws in a shaky breath.  
The stone is creeping up her shoulders now and he can’t stop it. He’s not a Bright and he’s afraid of what will happen if she turns completely to stone.  
Will anyone else be able to reverse it like she did?  
If only there was someway he could…his right hand leaves her face and reaches into his right pocket. She opens her eyes and stares as he pulls out the small paper bag holding the snake ring, containing Basilisk venom.  
He removes it from the bag and holds it between his forefinger and thumb and flicks the pressure plate inside the band and a small barb in the snake’s mouth springs out.  
He looks to her and she shakily nods, giving him permission.  
“I’m sorry, Mi Amor,” he whispers and sticks it into the right side of her neck.  
She screws her eyes shut again as she breathes rapidly.  
The elf watches as the stone slows and then stops, and he removes the barb from her neck and pockets the ring again. The stone quickly recedes from her form and he wraps his arms around her and she falls limp into his arms. He carefully hoists her up into his grasp and rests her head against his right shoulder. A tear from his right eye slips free and trails down his cheek and he presses his face to her hair as he carries her bridal style down the hall they came and then down the staircase.  
“Hang on, Querida,” he whispers and then lifts his head and the tear is wiped from his face by her hair. He comes across the MTF agents from Alpha team that have managed to catch up and they stare at him and then the woman in his arms.  
“There are two elven Brights, Twins, I want you to head up there and FIND THEM,” he growls.  
The agents nod and quickly head in the direction Kandomere came from as the Special Agent heads for the only people who can save his Bright now. He notices her eyes are flickering with light and her breathing is becoming more and more rapid. The elf steps outside finally and he leans his head down and buries his face in her hair once more, “Stay with me, Mi Amor, for my sake please,” he begs, “Keep fighting.”  
Lightning flashes and is immediately followed by a loud clap of thunder.  
He reaches the medical team and they rush forward to meet him.  
“Basilisk venom, injected at the neck,” he explains only vaguely aware as he finally sets her down on a stretcher and the medics bring out the antivenom vials and prep it for an intravenous injection.  
He stares dazedly as he steps back and can only watch as a storm rolls overhead.  
Montehugh comes up to him in a huff, “What the hell happened?!”  
Kandomere turns to him, “She was turning to stone I…” he pulls out the ring and shows it to him and realization dawns on the man’s face, “I had to,” he finishes.  
The man brushes a hand over his face and through his hair, “Ah fuck,” he mutters.  
Kandomere glances back at his Bright and then back to Montehugh.  
“What about the elf lady?” Montehugh questions.  
“There are two of them,” Kandomere says, “Identical twins.”  
Montehugh nods grimly and turns around and starts to give out orders to the others gathered around. While Kandomere stares at the medics once again removing the woman from the scene only this time, it’s his fault.


	12. An Almost First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Language, Mentions of gore, death, and blood
> 
> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}

“Kandomere, I’m scared,” she sobs.  
A loud clap of thunder startles the Special Agent awake and he glances behind him at the large windows. He rubs his face with his hands and leans back against the couch.   
It’s been like this ever since she arrived and before when…he covers his eyes with his hand and then sits up. He scratches his head and then stares to his right as there’s another flash of light, swiftly followed by more thunder.   
The elf stands and walks towards the window.  
He pushes the blinds of his office window aside with two fingers and stares out at the building across from him where his Bright is being treated. There’s more lightening that illuminates the area and he watches as the lights in the building flicker again. She’s already blown out the power once, so now they have to work on the backup generators. He removes his fingers and lets the blinds fall closed again and then returns to the couch. He sits down and leans back and places his hand over his face with his forefinger resting on the bridge of his nose.  
He did this to her.  
He’s the reason she’s in agonizing pain right now.  
He’s aware the alternative would be worse, but right now all he can think about is how he should have kept a closer eye on her.   
He should have kept her safe!  
He moves to cover his mouth and he closes his eyes and he feels tears slowly slip down his cheeks. NO.   
She’s going to be alright.   
She’s made it through hell already.   
He knows she’ll pull through.   
Fuck.  
He just wants to hold her in his arms again…where she’s safe and warm and….and…his?  
He opens his eyes and wipes a tear from his face and then stares at his hand.  
They have grown close…  
He had never considered that he might be developing feelings for her.  
That he might be falling in…  
She is beautiful, and kind, and strong, and her scent is becoming intoxicating to him. He tugs at his dress shirt collar and undoes another button, and then stares down and rubs at his bare skin.   
He’s stopped wearing his gorget for her.   
A gorget that he’s worn most of his adult life.  
He was wrong to wear it of course, that still hasn’t changed, it was mostly an influence his father had on him as the only male child among his siblings. And something he hadn’t realized he’d still been carrying around all this time. He stares back at the window, he’s never dropped his guard so quickly for anyone before, but her vulnerability makes him feel like he can be vulnerable too. Like she won’t think anything less of him for not being perfect or strong all the time. When she makes it through this he looks forward to sharing more moments together, that is…if she’ll have him.   
He is still an elf and Kandomere worries if she’ll be attracted to him at all.  
He knows he’s not exactly built like a typical elf, he’s much more broad-shouldered, not as lean as other elven men. He doesn’t doubt that he’s handsome, no of course not, he’s an elf. He’s just not sure if she’s into elves, especially considering that one comment she made about the crass, casual relations elves have with humans. Elven men have sex with their human assistants for the very reason that they can’t get them pregnant, or at least it’s more difficult to.   
It’s a callous behavior regardless and his mother taught him better than that.  
Kandomere’s not seeking a casual relationship anyway, he never has.  
It’s happened on occasion, but it’s left him disheartened more than anything.   
It’s why he had preferred to be alone.   
Being aware of his affections for her now, he wishes to do this right if he is to pursue her. He’s not entirely clear on human courtship rules, but surely there’s something.   
And if her answer is no then…so be it.  
For now though he’s going to try to get some sleep, restful or not, and wait for her fever to break.

*******

“Stay with me, Mi Amor,” a comforting voice says.  
You’re vaguely aware that you’re being carried or at least you assume so.   
It doesn’t feel like you’re on the floor and there’s something….no someone, holding you to their chest.   
Kandomere.   
It must be Kandomere.  
“For my sake, please,” he begs and you feel him bury his face in your hair, “Keep fighting.”  
You try to muster a response, but you can feel your throat closing up and no sound comes out. Keep fighting, he said.   
You hold onto those words.   
You hold onto them even when you feel his touch leave you and your vision fades.

Then you slowly start to open your eyes and you scan the room with your blurry vision. This room looks familiar…  
You blink slowly and swallow and wince at the extreme soreness of your throat. You notice that there’s a faint beeping in your ears and you turn to see a heart rate monitor beside you. It’s then that you realize where you are and that you’ve been here before.   
You slowly turn your head to the right and smile when you see a familiar face.   
The red-haired, dwarven woman is half dozing in the chair next to you with a still steaming cup of coffee in her hand while the other rests under her chin. She’s not wearing her cardigan at the moment seeing as it’s draped over her chair and her hair is pulled into a messy bun. She’s wearing a short-sleeved, white blouse with red poppies covering it and her usual black slacks.  
“Hey, Gwen,” you croak.  
She stirs and dazedly stares up at you and then her eyes widen and she promptly sits up in her chair. She quickly wipes at her face and you notice her mascara has run.   
“Hey, you’re awake,” she says softly, “How…how are you feeling?”  
You sigh, “Tired. My throat hurts.”  
She tries to let out a small laugh, but her smile quickly fades as you watch her eyes dart to your neck.   
She recovers though and smiles at you, “Hey, sometimes tired is a good thing. Are you hungry or anything?”  
Your brows furrow and you shake your head, “No, but I am a little thirsty.”  
She nods, “We’ll see if we can’t get one of the medics to help you with that,” she says and glances behind her at the hallway, “But um…it’s good that you’re awake.”  
You note that there’s a tinge of worry in her voice as she says that.  
“Heeeyyy!!” a voice calls.  
You both look up to see Hernández enter the room also with a cup of coffee in her hand, “Look at you! Back from the dead I see.”  
Gwen spins around in her chair and glares at her and then snaps something in Dwarvish you don’t understand, but you do hear Gabriela’s name in there. Hernández holds up her hand and ignores her cohort and strides up to you both and then stops at the foot of your bed.  
“So how you feeling, Muchacha?” Hernández asks.  
“Gabriela,” you say in a small, hoarse voice.  
“Woah, you sound terrible,” Hernández remarks.  
You glance at McTavish and she shakes her head at her partner.  
“Not as terrible as that coffee I bet,” you joke.  
She looks down at her mug and grimaces, “Yeah…I really just need to start bringing my own shit,” she says and pulls up a second chair that you notice has her jacket on it.   
Have they been here all night?  
“She’s been saying that for the past four years,” McTavish sighs.  
“I’ll do it someday…just not today,” Hernández says taking a sip of her coffee, “It’s good to see you awake though we were all really worried about you,” she adds.  
You smile at them both and then you glance at the door beyond them that leads out into the hall. The office building is across from this one and in it, the elf’s office.   
“HE was especially worried about you,” Hernández says with a smirk, “In case you were wondering.”  
She takes another sip of her coffee and you stare at her and then the door again before glancing down again.  
“He actually took the first watch when we went home to our families,” McTavish says.  
“Yeah, he insisted on it,” Hernández adds.  
“Which is why WE had to insist that he let us take the next watch,” McTavish says.  
“Still don’t think he went home,” Hernández comments.  
“What?! He was supposed to,” McTavish says turning to her.  
“Eh, you told him to get some sleep, you didn’t say where,” Hernández says.  
You smile a little, “Is he in his office?”  
Hernández nods, “His car is still here.”  
“How…um how long was I out?” you question.  
Hernández shrugs, “A couple days.”  
“A couple days?!” you question and then wince at the pain in your throat.  
“Technically it’s still been less than forty-eight hours,” McTavish says hurriedly.  
“It’s still after five,” Hernández says with a shrug.  
Your right hand moves to touch the injection site on your neck absentmindedly and you find a bandage is covering it and that it’s still swollen.  
“Hey!” Hernández hisses and swats at your hand, “Don’t touch that! You’re still not fully healed.”  
You lower your arm and set it down on the bed and then McTavish scoots her chair closer and adjusts your blankets again to cover you.   
“Easy, Mother Hen, if she wants to be covered she’ll let you know,” Hernández says.  
“Well, she looked cold,” McTavish remarks scooting her chair back again.  
“Thanks, Gwen, there is actually a draft in here,” you say.  
“See?” McTavish questions crossing her arms.  
Hernández holds her hand up and relents not wanting to argue about it.  
You look them both over and though Hernández is wearing an olive green, long-sleeved blouse, you notice a bandage covering her left hand and then you stare over at McTavish and she has stitches on her forehead next to her eyebrow.  
“Are you two okay?” you ask.  
They both stare at you in confused, stunned silence and then they exchange glances.  
“Are WE okay?” Hernández questions, “You’re the one that almost died!”  
“Yeah, this is nothing compared to what happened with you,” McTavish agrees.  
You stare at them both and they seem so very concerned for you that it warms your heart that they were so worried.  
You glance down, “I didn’t mean for this to happen,” you mutter.  
“Who would?” Hernández asks, “Hey, don’t feel bad, it wasn’t your fault.”  
You’re about to open your mouth to counter when you hear an attractive voice say, “Hola, Hermosa.”   
Your heart leaps and you can hear the heart rate monitor accelerate beside you as you turn to stare at the gorgeous man striding towards you…

*******

Kandomere is awoken by the sound of his phone ringing.  
He rolls over on his couch and swipes his hand across his coffee table groggily and nearly falls on the floor. Which is uncharacteristically clumsy of him, but given his current state, not at all surprising.   
He grabs it and hits answer, “Hello?” he groans.  
“Sir? Her fever broke,” the medic answers.  
“WHAT?!” he demands, “Just now?”  
“…About an hour ago,” the medic continues.  
“Um…thank you for informing me,” Kandomere says and hangs up.  
He sits up and tosses the phone onto the couch beside him and rubs his hands over his face.   
God, he probably looks like shit.  
He combs his fingers through his hair and then stands up and re-buttons his shirt, and puts his tie around his neck, and slips on his vest. He then grabs a couple of books he had brought from home off his desk and then heads towards the elevator. And as he walks to the building where she’s recovering he runs his hands through his hair one more time.   
What will she think of him?  
Will she be angry with him?  
Or worse will her trust in him be broken?  
He’s wracked with guilt as he stops just outside the doorway to her room and then he hears her voice.   
It’s still weak and does not carry as far as it should, but he hears it.  
Tears well up in his eyes and he closes them and takes a breath to steady himself and then he steps through the door.   
When he catches sight of her, he forgets to breathe for a moment.   
He approaches her slowly and calls out to her, “Hola, Hermosa.”  
Everyone stops mid-conversation and turns to stare at him.  
His Bright’s eyes widen, “Kandomere!” she says in excitement.  
He smiles wide at her and feels undeserving of her warmth.  
He sees Hernández glance at him out of the corner of her eye and then glance back at his Bright, attempting to refrain from smiling. Kandomere doesn’t even care at the moment that she heard his pet name for her, all he cares about is that this woman he has come to care for is awake and smiling. He walks to her bedside and McTavish moves her chair out of the way so he can pass. Kandomere steps beside her and rests his left hand on hers and places a kiss on his Bright’s forehead.   
Both McTavish and Hernández exchange a glance.  
“How are you feeling?” he asks continuing to ignore the looks.  
“Tired,” she responds, “And a little sore.”  
He offers her another smile and strokes his thumb across her knuckles and she smiles and looks down at his hand.  
“What’s that?” she asks.  
“These?” he asks holding up the books in his other hand, “Are a few of my favorite Elvish fairytales, my mother used to read these to me and my sisters as children.”  
“Elvish fairytales?” she questions with curiosity.  
“Mmhm,” he hums, “Ever heard any?”  
“I don’t think so,” she admits.  
“Would you like to?” he asks with a small smile.  
She stares up at him and smiles broadly, “Kandomere, are you offering to read for me?”  
“I am,” he states.  
“Hey, Gwen, how about you and me head home, huh?” Hernández asks.  
“What? But she just woke up!” McTavish protests.  
“Yeah and I think we both need some sleep ourselves, besides the Boss has the next watch,” Hernández continues.   
McTavish looks to the woman in the bed and then back at her partner evidently conflicted.   
“She’ll be fine, Gwen,” Hernández assures her, “She’s in capable hands.”  
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry. Besides I can’t get into any more trouble from here,” his Bright says.   
McTavish sighs, “Alright, we’ll be back tomorrow to take you home, they want to keep you overnight again for observation.”  
“Bye,” his Bright says in a small voice.  
“Goodbye,” McTavish says hopping onto the floor.  
“Audios,” Hernández says with a wave.  
They both grab their things and Kandomere watches them leave and then hears their footsteps down the hall.   
The elf clutches her hand more tightly and she stares up at him curiously.  
“Let me first start by saying how truly sorry I am for what I’ve done. I never intended to harm you, Mi Amor,” Kandomere apologizes his eyes downcast.  
“Harm me? I don’t understand,” she whispers with a tiny shake of her head, “Kandomere, you saved me!”  
He meets her eyes in surprise and there’s no trace of fear or anger in them.  
Tears form in his eyes again and one slips free and rolls down his cheek and onto her hand. She slips her hand out of his and reaches towards his face and he leans forwards and she caresses his face, thumbing away the tears.   
“I’M the one who should be sorry not you, I…I….” she begins.  
He grasps her hand on his face, “Amor, what do you have to be sorry for?”  
Tears start to form in her eyes now, “I’m sorry, Kandomere, I did exactly what you told me not to do. I wandered off on my own I…I tried to turn back, but I didn’t know where you went.”  
So she was not separated from him by the witches like he had thought.  
“I also might have…provoked her…or one of them into attacking me,” she continues.  
“WHAT?! Why on Earth would you do such a thing?!” he questions.  
She winces at the volume of his voice even though she appears to have expected it and his face softens and he gently grips her hand and presses a kiss to her delicate skin.  
“Because…” she continues, “She wanted to hurt you. She was trying to coax information out of me about you and I couldn’t…I couldn’t let her…”  
More tears form in her eyes and he takes his turn and brushes them away gently.  
“You antagonized what turned out to be TWO elven Brights for me?” he asks with a slight tilt of his mouth.   
“WHAT? AND LET THEM KILL THE ONE GOOD ELF I’VE EVER KNOWN?!” she demands distraught.  
He smiles and glances at her hand and gently clutches it and then his thumb lightly strokes across her knuckles.   
Then he leans in and presses a kiss to her cheek.  
He hears her inhale and then the heart rate monitor pick up.  
He wants to brush his lips against hers but…now’s not the right time.  
He must confess his feelings properly first, when she is well again.  
He pulls back from her slowly and there’s a furious blush coloring her cheeks and he notes her eyes dart to his lips and then she wets hers. She blinks a few times and focuses on his eyes again seemingly having lost her train of thought.  
“It’s not your fault,” Kandomere whispers.  
“If it’s not mine, then it’s not yours either!” she counters.  
He considers that for a moment, “You’re right. It’s theirs.”  
She nods thoughtfully staring off to the side.  
“I am sorry for the pain that I have caused you,” he whispers staring at the bandage on her neck and the still discolored skin around it and then the breathing tube that runs down her throat.   
“Stop, apologizing,” she says serious, “I can name very few people who would’ve done what you did.”  
He nods and looks at the books in his hand and then holds them up for her, “Which of these would you like me to read first?”  
She stares at them a moment and then points to the dark blue one with a gold gryphon emblazoned across it.  
“Ah, ‘The Gryphon’s Quarry’ an excellent choice,” Kandomere says and sets the other one down on an empty chair and opens it and seats himself in the remaining chair.  
He reads to her for several minutes until she stops him, “Wait, could you repeat that last part?” she asks.  
He nods, “I slash with both talon and claw.”  
“And I am a lion with no roar,” she mutters.  
He stares at her and then stares at the page, “Amor, I thought you couldn’t read Övüsi?”  
“I can’t. Isn’t that the password you used at the Broker’s?” she asks.  
He raises an eyebrow at her, “It is indeed. That password was taken from this story.”  
She lifts her head, “That makes sense no one but an elf would be familiar with an Elvish fairytale.”  
He glances down, “That was the idea, yes.”  
“Can you read me the rest of it?” she asks.  
He turns in his chair to stare at her, “Are you sure?”  
She nods and smiles, “I want to hear one of your favorite stories.”  
He smiles and continues, “I am brave and strong, the protector of my mate and my family…”

*******

“Alright, I think you’re all set! Ready to go home?” Hernández asks.  
“Yes,” you say softly.  
McTavish smiles at you and grabs a hold of your elbow and helps guide you out of the room and down the stairs. They had brought you some clothes from home that you changed into, and your work clothes have been bagged up for you to take home with you, clothes that Hernández is currently holding for you, along with your purse. You’re a little wobbly and weak from your ordeal and the two agents are flanking you on either side as they assist you in walking to the parking lot. McTavish seems to have no trouble helping you despite the disparity in height between you both, not to mention she has an incredibly strong grip. You spot Kandomere standing on the sidewalk ahead of you with his hands in his pockets and he waits for your group to approach him. His silver eyes trail over you as you step away from the two agents and you extend a hand towards him and he smiles softly and takes your hand in his own.  
And is surprised when you pull him into an embrace.  
He carefully wraps his arms around you and buries his face in your hair.  
You tilt your head to look up at him and he presses a kiss to your forehead.  
“{Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine, and besides I’m tougher than I look,}” you say in Elvish.  
He smiles at you, “{I know you will,}” he says his thumb brushing against your cheek, “{You are incredibly tenacious, Darling, truly a sight to behold.}”  
You blush a little and smile at him and notice there’s something else in his eyes…something he’s holding back.  
“Get some rest,” he says pulling back, “And I’ll see you soon.”  
“Goodbye, My Elf,” you say and turn from him.  
“Goodbye, Querida,” he says.  
Hernández and McTavish join you and escort you to their SUV and as they help you into it, you stare off at the elf now returning to the office. Who seems to sense you watching him and turns to glance at you over his shoulder and raises his hand. You raise your hand up as well and then seat yourself in the backseat.   
Your friends climb into the vehicle themselves and start to drive you home.  
“So I can’t help but notice things getting real tender between you and the Boss,” Hernández says.  
“Yeah and since when did you start calling him ‘My Elf’?” McTavish questions.  
You sigh, “He literally saved my life, forgive me for being a little emotional about it.”  
McTavish glances back at you and then at her partner, “You know Gabriela has saved my life a couple times and I don’t call her ‘My Human.’”  
“And I appreciate that, I would be very weirded out if you started doing that,” Hernández comments.  
“So I don’t think you JUST started calling him that,” McTavish continues with disbelief, “I mean he didn’t even flinch when you said it.”  
“OK, so maybe…I have called him that before,” you admit.  
“All we’re saying is you two have a lot of pet names for two people aren’t together,” Hernández says.  
You shake your head, “The only time we were ‘together’ was when we pretended to be an engaged elven couple in the elven district.”  
“Wait, you two pretended to be MARRIED? AND I’M JUST NOW HEARING ABOUT THIS?!” Hernández asks in excitement.  
“Engaged. Not married,” you correct, “And I WAS disguised as an elf so don’t get too excited, we barely held hands.”  
Hernández chuckles, “Wait, until Josefina hears about this.”  
“Disguised as an elf?” McTavish questions and then turns around to look at you again, “Is this that spell you used to hide with your Aunt?”  
“Yeah,” you mutter, “It’s the same one.”  
“Ooh I definitely want to see that,” Hernández says.  
“We can wait until we get to her apartment first,” McTavish insists.  
“Alright,” Hernández groans.

You ride the rest of the way in silence, staring out your window, when you start to feel a little nauseous. Hernández parks and then helps you out of the vehicle and into the building. They both follow you up the elevator and as it stops you feel your stomach churn again in protest. You all step out into the hall and suddenly clutch at your abdomen and the pain that hits you.  
“Hey, you ok?” Hernández asks.  
“I’m fine,” you lie, “Just feeling a little sick at my stomach is all.”  
You straighten again and McTavish looks you over and then at her partner, “Think we should take her back?”  
“NO,” you insist, “I just want to go home and sleep in my own bed tonight.”  
“If the venom’s acting up again then we need to take you back,” Hernández says.  
“NO! I’m fine. Besides it doesn’t feel like the venom,” you continue and step forwards.  
You walk down the hallway and the agents catch up with you and stand to either side of you to assist you. You see Torva heading down the hall in your direction and she seems alarmed at the state you’re in.  
“Hey, are you alright?” Torva asks.  
“Huh? Oh yeah I’m better now,” you say.  
“Better? What happened?” Torva asks eyeing your neck.  
“I got stung by a bee and had an allergic reaction,” you lie.  
“Oh God!” Torva exclaims.  
“Yeah…I had my epipen with me though so it’s fine,” you lie.  
“Is that why you’re walking funny?” Torva questions.  
“Yeah, my leg’s just a little stiff,” you mutter.  
“You should have seen it, it had swollen to the size of like a grapefruit,” Hernández remarks.  
“Eh, it was more like a lemon,” McTavish says.  
Torva grimaces, “Well…I hope you feel better and please stay away from bees.”  
“I will,” you say and then you wave at her and she waves back as she passes the three of you in the hall.  
You all continue to your apartment and you unlock the door and the three of you step inside.  
“You know it’s amazing how you can be simultaneously a good and bad liar,” Hernández says.  
“When have I been bad at lying?” you question.  
“Um…every time I bring up the elf?” Hernández asks with a raised brow.  
You sigh and shuffle away from her.  
Hernández flicks on the light for the living room and you start to head to your bedroom. McTavish sighs and grabs your arm and helps you so you won’t fall over.  
When you reach the doorway to your bedroom, “Oh wait, let me get the light,” McTavish says.  
“It doesn’t work-“ you begin.  
McTavish steps into your room and grabs a remote off the dresser and presses a button and a myriad of battery-powered lights attached to the walls light up.  
You stare around your now dimly-lit room in surprise, “When did?”  
“It was ‘Your Elf’ actually,” McTavish states.  
You glance around again and then stare down at the bed.  
You step towards it and McTavish sets your stuff down and hovers her arms around you in case she needs to catch you. You smooth your hand across the beautiful deep blue comforter with silver bird feathers decorating it. Gingerly, you sit down on the bed and smile to yourself and then you lay back on the comforter.   
It’s so soft, he really didn’t have to do this.   
He’s honestly starting to spoil you.  
You sit back up slowly and then slide off the bed and feel an uncomfortable dampness in your panties all of a sudden.  
“Um, I have to go to the bathroom, I’ll be right back,” you mutter.  
McTavish fixes you with a look as you try to nonchalantly waddle to the bathroom.  
You turn on the light for the bathroom and close the door and when you sit down on the toilet, you grumble at the fresh blood now staining your panties.   
There’s a knock on your bathroom door, “Uh are you okay in there?” McTavish asks.  
“Yeah um…my period just started, it’s probably why I feel so nauseous, um could you…grab me a clean pair of underwear?” you ask reluctantly, “They’re in the top drawer of my dresser.”  
You hear her walk away and then the dresser drawer open and close and then she walks back and knocks on the door. You open it carefully and she’s covering her eyes with her hand as she holds out a pair of plain, black panties to you.   
“Thanks,” you say as you grab them and she withdraws and you shut the door.  
“You’re welcome,” she says awkwardly.  
You swap out your old underwear for the new pair and then place a liner on the inside and finish up. Tossing the old ones into the hamper, you then step out and head back to your room.   
“Hey, we were going to hang out here for a while, make sure everything’s okay,” McTavish says.  
You stop and turn to her, “Oh thanks I-“  
“Yeah we can watch some movies I brought! Hope you like horror!” Hernández calls as she exits your kitchen.  
“Movies?” you question.  
McTavish sighs, “AND I brought a few romantic comedies because I thought horror might be inappropriate right now,” the dwarven woman says placing her hands on her hips and staring at her partner.  
“Is this like a movie night?” you ask.  
“Yeah of course!” Hernández exclaims, “I already got some popcorn going.”  
You listen and you can hear popcorn already starting to pop and you smile.  
“That sounds nice, just um…let me get changed into some comfy clothes first,” you say.  
You step into your bedroom and close the door and pull out some leggings and a tank top and then your favorite sweater. You set your clothes on the bed and then pull out your phone from your purse on the floor and take a picture of your room and send it to the elf.   
“Did you do this?” you ask.  
You start to set the phone down when you see a response.  
“Perhaps,” he says.  
You smile, “You spoil me,” you reply.  
He starts to type something and then the dots disappear and then he starts to type again.   
You frown and wait for his response.  
“I don’t think I could ever spoil such a pure heart, for yours is more precious than any metal or stone,” he says.  
You grin and cover your mouth with your hand.  
Can this elf get any more perfect?  
You try to think of a response to THAT and after a moment you send a blue heart emoji. He sends you an emoji blowing a kiss and you smile even wider and finally put your phone down and start to get dressed.  
Once you put on your clothes, you leave your room and walk back into the living room.  
“So you mentioned popcorn?” you ask.  
“Yeah, it’s almost done,” Hernández says, “Where are the bowls by the way?”  
You follow her back into the kitchen, “They’re in the cabinet next to the stove,” you say and stop when you see a box of a familiar but expensive brand of elvish chocolate.  
Hernández opens the cabinet and retrieves a bowl, “Oh hey we cleaned up your kitchen a little while you were gone.”  
You pick up one of the bars of chocolate and then spot an envelope with your name written beautifully on it.  
Hernández notices you staring at it, “Oh also ‘Your Elf’ left you another little surprise.”  
You pick up the envelope and stare at all the chocolate, he literally bought you every flavor they make, excluding their holiday ones of course. You smile and turn the letter over and find a blue wax seal of a gryphon holding a sword between it’s beak and talons. You carefully break the seal, attempting to preserve the pretty gryphon on it and then pull out the letter. 

“I promised I would get you the chocolate you requested, but I had forgotten to ask which flavors you wanted, so I got a little of everything.   
I wish you a speedy recovery and peace of mind.  
Yours, Kandomere.  
P.S.   
I also replaced your comforter and gave you some minor lighting in your room, I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable while you were resting.”

You smile and stuff the letter back into the envelope.  
“So…what did he say?” Hernández asks.  
“Just that he got me a new comforter and all of this chocolate,” you say unwrapping one of the chocolate bars.  
“Aw and here I was hoping it was a love letter,” Hernández pouts and then she eyes the chocolate, “Hey, can I have one of those?”  
“Sure,” you answer biting into one of the white and milk chocolate bars.  
“Gabriela,” McTavish hisses, “Look we really shouldn’t afterall…we kind of ate the brownies you had left on the stove.”  
“Oh, right. Yeah sorry about that,” Hernández apologizes.  
You chuckle, “I made those brownies FOR BOTH OF YOU!”  
“What?” McTavish asks confused.  
“Yeah, as a way to say thanks for helping me,” you say.  
“Oh ok, so we’re cool?” Hernández asks.  
“We’re cool,” you reply.  
“See Gwen? I told you it would turn out to be no big deal,” Hernández says.  
Hernández retrieves the popcorn from the microwave and pours it into the bowl.  
“I’ll put a movie in,” McTavish says.  
You all walk out to the living room and you sit down on the couch with Hernández while McTavish grabs one of the dvds she brought with her.  
“Oh hey could you show us that spell?” Hernández asks.  
“What spell?” you question.  
“That spell you used to look like an elf?” Hernández asks.  
You nod, your mouth full of chocolate and set the candy down on the coffee table and stand up.  
You swallow the chocolate first and then clear your throat.  
“As I speak make me seem an elven maid,  
In clothing that is tailor-made,  
With silver eyes, sharpened teeth, and ears with tapered tips,  
Elegant from my neck to down past my hips,” you say and then stare down at yourself.  
But nothing happens.  
There’s no specks of light or anything.  
You frown and repeat the spell.  
Still nothing.  
“Do you only look different to elves?” Hernández questions confused.  
“No...it’s…it’s not working,” you say starting to panic.  
“Okay hold on deep breaths,” Hernández says.  
“Has anything ever happened like this before?” McTavish questions.  
You shake your head.  
“You think it’s the venom?” Hernández asks her partner.  
“It IS from a magic snake,” McTavish says, “It might just mean your own magic had to fight it off.”  
“Yeah it’ll probably come back in time on it’s own, like when you lose your voice when you get sick, you’re still a Bright, you’re not just suddenly going to stop being one,” Hernández assures you.  
You nod, “So I just need to rest?”  
“Rest and don’t strain yourself,” McTavish says, “You don’t need to head back to work until at least Thursday. It’s honestly mostly just dealing with The Northern Light this week dropping off the gold anyhow.”  
“And I bet if you asked the elf he’d probably give you more time off,” Hernández says.  
You nod, “Okay.”  
“Let’s just sit and watch the movie,” McTavish says.  
You smile and then sit down on the couch next to them and Hernández extends the bowl of popcorn to you and you grab a handful. You munch on the popcorn as McTavish hits play on the movie and try not to worry about the sudden loss of your magic. And how very vulnerable you feel.

*******

“So she’s coming back to work today, right, Boss?” Montehugh questions.  
Kandomere looks up from the file he’s holding, “She is,” he states and pulls another photo out and sets it on the coffee table amidst the others.  
“That’s good…that’s real good,” Montehugh trails off.  
The elf raises an eyebrow at him and rounds the table and sits down on the couch and continues to examine the case files.   
“So uh…how’s she been doing?” Montehugh asks.  
“From what Agents Hernández and McTavish have told me, she is doing quite well,” Kandomere says leaning forward and grabbing one of the photos.  
“From what they told you?” Montehugh questions confused, “What? You mean you didn’t check up on her yourself?”  
“Not since she went home,” Kandomere answers setting the file down.  
“Boss, that was five days ago,” Montehugh says.  
“And your point is?” Kandomere asks.  
Montehugh lets out a heavy sigh and removes one of his hands from his pockets to scratch his head, “Look. I’m just tryin’ to make sure you’re not all wrapped up in your guilt that you’re gonna push her away again.”  
Kandomere glances up at him, “I assure you everything is fine, I just wanted to ensure she would make a full and unstressed recovery.”  
Montehugh glares at him and then the man’s gaze shifts down to the paperwork and photos spread out on the coffee table.  
“Is that why you’re painstakingly going over the case involving those elven twins?” Montehugh demands.  
“You act as though I would not have done this regardless, we have new information and must proceed accordingly and re-examining the evidence is only part of that,” Kandomere explains calmly.  
Montehugh smirks, “So you admit you feel guilty?”  
Kandomere sets the photo back down, “I did no such thing!”  
“You said you would have done this anyway, which means you ARE doing this because of her,” Montehugh replies.  
Kandomere glances to the side and sighs.  
Damn.  
He just used one of their interrogation methods against him.  
Montehugh shakes his head, “What’s eatin’ you huh, Boss? You afraid she won’t talk to you anymore?”  
Kandomere slowly meets the man’s gaze.   
“Is that it?” Montehugh asks with a raised brow.  
The elf lets out another sigh, “I simply do not wish for her to fear me like she does so many others.”  
“Yeah,” Montehugh says with a nod, “Except she knows you and why you did it. You told me that Basilisk’s venom stops petrification and there weren’t a whole lotta options,” he says pointing at the elf.  
Kandomere glances down, “I know.”  
“You know, somethin’ tells me you and her will be okay,” Montehugh continues.  
Kandomere huffs half-heartedly, “What makes you say that?”  
“Eh, I’ve just noticed things have changed since the two of you met,” Montehugh says with a shrug, “Besides for someone who distrusts and fears elves, she seems to have warmed up to you pretty quickly.”  
Kandomere can’t help but smile a little at that.  
“I suppose you’re right,” Kandomere says quietly.   
“I’m sorry could you repeat that?” Montehugh questions.  
“I said you were…” Kandomere trails off when he looks up and sees the man cupping his ear, “You heard me the first time didn’t you?”  
“Hey, what can I say? I don’t get to hear that very often from an elf,” Montehugh says tucking his hands back in his pockets.  
Kandomere smiles again and then stares down at one of the photos and reaches out to pick it up.   
He frowns as he examines a photo taken of the crowd outside the nightclub.   
The elven woman in the photo has all Three of her rings, when she should have been missing one already…  
“What have you got?” Montehugh asks.  
“Proof that both sisters were there that night,” Kandomere says and hands him the photo, “Look at her hand.”  
Montehugh frowns and nods, “They’ve been switching places this whole time,” he says and hands the photo back.   
“Both sisters presence at the nightclub would explain the use of the mirror by our mystery elf,” Kandomere states.  
“Yeah he may think he’s tough shit with that dragon, but those ladies’ had him outnumbered on THEIR turf,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere sets the photo down and picks up the copy of the police report for the stolen scale from Banathar’s shop and the report on the blood found on the empty glass case that housed it.  
“The elven male fled the scene, but he was injured in the process…” Kandomere trails off.  
Montehugh sighs, “Think he went for the key and found something else? I mean the last thing we know for certain he did was fuck with Angelo.”  
“But he couldn’t DO THAT alone, no…” Kandomere muses.  
“Angelo’s got kids on the way, right?” Montehugh asks.  
“Correct,” Kandomere confirms.  
“So he’s more protective than ever, he’d chase off anything that’d threaten his family. I mean shit I remember how I was when my boys were born,” Montehugh continues.  
“And a Rival Male Dragon trespassing in their territory would have provoked an immediate response,” Kandomere states.  
Montehugh nods in agreement.  
Kandomere sets everything down on the table once more and rubs his chin, “Something’s missing.”  
Montehugh moves closer and begins looking everything over.  
And then he starts to snap his fingers, “Hey, that Broker guy said he arranged a deal between that elf and the twins, but what were they going to trade? We already had the key.”  
Kandomere removes his hand from his face and stares up at the man, “You’re right. After hearing what our consultant had recounted to Agent Hernández and McTavish they seemed to know that we had taken it and had even targeted us for it.”  
“But why did they walk in there without it?” Montehugh asks.  
Kandomere stares down at the photo of one of the twins again and his brows furrow, “Each sister wears three rings on her left hand, why not just two? Why not just one?”  
Montehugh’s brows furrow as well and he picks up the photo and stares at it, “AH SHIT!” Montehugh exclaims, “There’s three of them?!”  
“The third was going to retrieve the key and that’s when they discovered it was missing, perhaps that is also why the deal fell through?” Kandomere questions.  
“So it’s not twins, it’s triplets?” Montehugh asks incredulously.  
“I’m not entirely sure,” Kandomere says.  
“What do you mean?” Montehugh asks.  
“Well, as rare as it is for humans to have triplets, it’s even rarer for elves,” Kandomere states.  
“They’re already Brights, who’s to say lightning can’t strike twice?” Montehugh asks.  
“I myself have twin sisters, but altogether I have THREE sisters. It’s highly unlikely, but at this stage we can’t rule it out just yet,” Kandomere says.  
“Still if we’re dealing with three elves,” Montehugh says holding up three fingers, “Then that means we got a full blown coven on our hands.”

*******

You step off the elevator with Hernández and McTavish.  
You’re kind of nervous about getting back to work, but at the same time eager to be out of your apartment. The last few days have been uneventful and it was nice to take some time off to relax by just napping and watching movies. Hernández and McTavish did stop by one more time to get you to write down what happened after you split off from them and like Kandomere they also avoided scolding you for it. Other than that they had all been incredibly busy with work and their own lives.   
And apparently so had Kandomere…  
You had tried to call him a few times but had gotten nothing more than his voicemail, you don’t what to bother him while he’s at work, but you do sort of miss having him around.   
You hope he’s not mad at you.  
Afterall you did run off when you weren’t supposed to…  
Oh no he IS mad at you.  
You’ve never really cared if an elf was upset with you before, and you don’t know what to do.  
“Hey,” Hernández says and pats you on the arm.  
“What?” you ask confused.  
“Didn’t you hear me?” Hernández asks.  
You shake your head.  
“I said you’re going to be working with us today,” Hernández repeats.  
“Oh, I thought I would be working with Kandomere and….I mean Special Agent Kandomere and Agent Montehugh today,” you correct.  
“They’re busy reviewing a case and we really need your help on ours,” Hernández says.  
“Oh Alright,” you say with a nod.  
If they’re reviewing a case then he probably is just busy, right?  
Yeah that’s probably what it is….  
You follow both of them to their desks and they retrieve some paperwork.  
“Alright, first off,” McTavish begins, “Turns out the reason those elves were at the textile mill in the first place was to illegally buy parts from our butchered gryphons.”  
“I can think of a few reasons they might want gryphon parts and all of them are bad,” you say.  
“And that’s why we need your help,” Hernández says opening a file.  
You nod and move around to look at the file she’s holding and there’s a stack of gruesome looking photos and a written report on the inside.   
The photo on top appears to be some sort of innard you presume is from a gryphon.  
“Yeah they’re all like that,” Hernández says noticing your grimace.  
“We’ve got a list of body parts that were missing from the bodies and need to make sure everything is accounted for,” McTavish adds examining her own file.  
“Fortunately, we don’t have to handle the actual organs, some poor lab guys did that already,” Hernández says.  
“What about the people that were selling them?” you ask as you take some of the photos.  
“They were two goblins who were trying to sell some of it, when teams Alpha and Delta moved in to apprehend elven woman A and….then she torched the place, killing said goblins in the process,” Hernández explains.  
“Hey…um are the MTF agents who went in there…okay?” you ask hesitantly.  
Hernández sucks in a breath.  
“You remember those guys we met when we went in there?” McTavish asks.  
“Yeah?” you ask.  
“That’s about all that made it out,” Hernández says.  
“Oh…” you mutter.  
“So…back to the goblins,” McTavish says, “We ran their dental work first to identify them and then searched through our database and found them already in the system, having been arrested on numerous occasions.”  
“Yeah and get this,” Hernández chimes in, “Those goblins are from the Batteredwings gang.”  
You shake your head, “I’ve never heard of them.”  
“That’s not surprising considering you live in Fogteeth territory,” McTavish says, “They tend to stay away from the orcs.”  
“Well, they were one of the smaller gangs, but after Altamira took some heavy hits they’ve been taking advantage of the situation and made a grab for more turf,” Hernández continues.  
“And now they’re birdnapping gryphons?” you question.  
“Si, and get this, most of the parts they had brought inside were incinerated by that spell and these,” Hernández says tapping the photos in your hand, “We found inside a van parked in the loading dock behind the building.”  
“And that van is registered to another goblin who turns out is also a known member of the Batteredwings,” McTavish adds.  
“We already have an arrest warrant for him and the Boss sent Agents Davidson and Hodges to go get him,” Hernández says.

You all slowly begin running down the list and you explain to them during, the various uses of the different parts as components in ritualistic spells. There are a couple of things you have to double check in your Aunt’s books and a few of the body parts were badly removed, leaving you all to scratch your heads and play guess that organ. The three of you break for lunch eventually and then finish the list some time after you get back.   
Hernández sits back in her chair and groans, “That’s it! I guess they didn’t have time to take anything.”  
You stare at the list and then look over at the photos spread out across McTavish’s desk.  
“What?” Hernández asks.  
“Where’s the heart?” you question.  
McTavish scans the photos and picks one up and shows it to you, “Here it is.”  
“Okay, yeah, but what about the other one?” you ask.  
The agents both look at each other.  
“There were two gryphons, there should be two hearts,” you continue.  
Hernández stands up and picks up the charred remains of something, “I thought this was it?”  
“Eh, it’s about the right size,” McTavish says uncertain and holds her photo of the uncharred heart next to Hernández’s photo.  
You all stare at it for a moment, it’s clearly not the heart.  
“Ah fuck!” Hernández exclaims, “They didn’t remove all the same parts from both of them!”  
McTavish sighs, “Then we need to check the original report in the filing room.”  
You stand and follow them as they walk to the opposite side of the room and then head down a different hallway than the one the elf’s office is at the end of. And then the three of you duck into a sizable room filled with filing cabinets in the middle and all along the walls. Agent Murhpy and that purple-haired elf, both wearing regular business attire, are busy looking through different files and briefly glance up when your group enters.   
And you feel like their gaze lingers on you for half a second longer than your friends.  
Hernández steps forwards and opens one of the filing cabinets on the right wall and quickly flips through them. She finds what she’s looking for and opens it up and then leans away and makes a face.  
“God, who wrote this?!” Hernández exclaims, “What kind of chicken scratch is this?”  
The young elf looks up from his file, her loud exclamation having disturbed the quiet of the room and he closes his file and steps over to her.   
He peers over her shoulder at the file and also makes a face, “You’re right this writing is atrocious,” he says and squints, “Matthew….Davidson.”  
“Ugh, Davidson wrote this?! Remind me to never ask him for anything,” Hernández says.  
“To be fair, you were already wearing your gloves and covered in gryphons’ blood when you said, ‘Davidson write this down for me!’” McTavish says.  
“Again, I should never ask him for anything,” Hernández says.  
“What gets me is the barbeque sauce fingerprints on the edge of the page,” the elf remarks.  
“He did eat that afterwards,” Hernández says quietly, continually disappointed by her coworkers sloppy work.  
She takes a moment to read through the report turning it in her hands trying to get a better look.  
“Well?” McTavish asks.  
Hernández mouths a few words as she reads, “Okay! It says here both hearts were removed, and I’d bet money that one of those elven ladies has it now.”  
McTavish looks to you expectantly as does Hernández.  
“Um…” you mutter trying to think, “The only thing really worthwhile to use a gryphon heart for is a really powerful tracking spell.”  
“What would they want to track?” McTavish questions.  
You glance to the side for a moment, “Maybe something they lost?”  
Hernández’s eyes widen, “Like the-“ she begins and then glances down and grumbles.  
“Could it be used to track a person?” McTavish asks.  
“I mean technically you could…but you would give them one hell of a headache,” you explain.  
You notice the elf step back from Hernández and glance at Agent Murhpy.  
Hernández tucks the report back into the folder and then back into the filing cabinet and shuts it.   
“Well, we better make a note of this, a legible note,” Hernández says and steps past you.  
McTavish moves to join her and you’re about to leave as well…  
“You’re that new consultant, yes?” a voice asks.  
You stop and turn around and stare at the purple-haired elf, who you notice is not wearing a gorget.  
“Yes,” you answer.  
“Hm,” he hums his eyebrow quirking slightly, “It seems they’re making full use of your expertise,” he says with a smile.  
“Yes…and you are?” you ask.  
He smiles again, “I am Arathir.”  
You introduce yourself and he nods.  
“It’s good to see you back on your feet,” he says.  
You give him a polite smile before leaving the room finally.  
When you reach Hernández and McTavish’s desk again, you notice Kandomere looking around the room.   
He spots you and the two of you make eye contact and he strides towards you.  
You fidget nervously and walk to meet him halfway.  
‘There you are,” he says smiling, “I’ve been meaning to have a word with you in my office, in private.”  
Oh no, you’re in trouble.  
You nod, “Of course.”  
He smiles again and steps away.  
You watch him walk away and just stare after him.  
“Alright, well it looks like we’re done for the day,” Hernández says, “You ready to go home?”  
“Uh…I have to speak to Kandomere before I leave,” you mutter.  
Hernández glances at the elf just in time to see him disappear down the hallway, “Did he say what it was about?”  
You shake your head, “No.”  
Hernández sighs, “We’ll wait here for you then.”  
You nod and slowly make your way to Kandomere’s office.

*******

There’s a soft knock on his door, “Come in,” Kandomere calls.  
The door opens a crack and her face peeks in, “You wished to see me, Sir?” she asks.  
“Yes, please, come in,” he says and he straightens his tie.  
She quietly makes her way across the room and the elf waits patiently for her.   
She stops in front of him and looks up at him expectantly.  
“There’s something I wanted to tell you,” he whispers softly.  
She looks at him curiously, “About what?”  
He inhales, “About what happened.”  
The woman immediately glances down ashamedly. He grips her upper arms and gives her a gentle squeeze, and her eyes move to his hand on her left arm.  
“I’m not going to lecture you, that’s not what this is about,” he continues.  
She looks up at him, “How is it not?” she asks and shakes her head, “I shouldn’t have run off, I know I shouldn’t have.”  
“Shh,” he soothes and his right hand travels down her right arm to her waist, “You couldn’t have known there would be two of them.”  
She’s already been through enough he doesn’t want to make her feel any worse. Besides it’s not why he wanted to talk to her…  
”Querida,” he whispers.  
She meets his eyes and he watches as unmistakably, her pupils dilate.   
He brushes his left hand through her hair and tucks a strand behind her right ear and slowly trails his fingers around her perfectly rounded ear. Her eyes slip shut for a moment as she leans into his hand, “I had feared I had lost you…” he whispers.  
His eyes dart to her lips and his hand trails along her jaw and finds her chin and he pulls her forwards. She leans in towards him and her left hand finds his waist, while her right, his left shoulder. Her eyes slip closed and the elf holds her closer as his own eyes close…and he feels the barest touch as her lips start to graze his…and then she inhales sharply and withdraws quickly.   
Kandomere’s eyes snap open and he stares down at the woman in his arms confused. She’s still holding onto him, but her head is turned to stare at the door behind her. The elf focuses his attention on it and he can hear loud, ruckous laughter coming towards his office.   
Montehugh and several other agents.  
The woman quickly extricates herself from him, much to his dismay, and strides over to his coffee table and picks up one of the files he had left there and pretends to look through it.   
He stares at her for a moment and then the door opens and the agents file into his office, “Boss, we have an update on that case, you said you wanted it at once,” someone says.  
“Yes,” Kandomere says turning his attention to the agents in front of him.  
Kandomere is only vaguely aware of what they’re telling him, his eyes drifting occasionally to the woman who is now quickly making her way to the back of the group. And when his eyes focus back on the agents, he hears the door click and glances up to see her gone.

After everything’s squared away he briskly strides down the hall in hopes of finding her. He reaches the main area and Montehugh approaches him, “You wouldn’t happen to have seen our consultant around anywhere?” Kandomere asks quickly.  
Montehugh’s brows furrow, “Boss, she already went home.”  
“What?!” Kandomere asks disappointed.  
Montehugh gives him a look and Kandomere tries to compose himself, “Yeah…she got a ride with Hernández and McTavish,” Montehugh continues.  
“Then it’ll have to wait until tomorrow, thank you for informing me,” Kandomere says turning on his heel.  
“Uh huh,” Montehugh mutters as he watches the elf leave.  
Kandomere walks back to his office and upon entering, locks the door.   
He stares at the empty room for a moment and then makes his way back to his desk and sits down. He leans back and stares at the space she once occupied in front of him. Then he raises his hand and trails his fingers over his lips slowly.   
Did he do something wrong?  
Was she embarrassed?  
The elf removes his hand from his mouth and wets his lips, he needs to talk to her, find out what he did wrong. He pulls his phone out and stares at it, he might come on too strong if he calls her or texts her out of the blue.   
He sets the phone on his desk, he’ll wait until tomorrow then.  
Then he can find out how to proceed and whether or not his affections are….unwanted.   
He can wait the night and tomorrow it will be easier for him to read if she is repulsed by him.   
He hopes that she isn’t.   
She did almost…they almost…the elf trails his fingers over his lips again.   
Tomorrow then.   
Tomorrow he’ll know for sure.


	13. Brunch and Budding Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: {Övüsi is in these brackets}  
> Warnings: Language, Mentions of mythical animal abuse

“Here,” Saerthon says.  
Kandomere takes the extra pair of purple tinted glasses from him and puts them on.  
And then Saerthon carefully removes the shards of the broken mirror from a black plastic bag and places them on the table.  
They both stare at them for a moment.  
“Are they inert?” Kandomere questions.  
“I believe so, it’s hard to know for certain without looki-“ Saerthon begins.  
Kandomere rips off his glasses and stares directly into the shards.  
And nothing happens.  
He straightens again, adjusting his jacket and glances back at Saerthon whose mouth is agape in shock.  
“I would say it is inert,” Kandomere says calmly.  
“ARE YOU MAD?!” Saerthon demands.  
“Not at all,” Kandomere replies.  
He stares back down at the shards.  
There’s a part of him that still feels guilty about what had happened to his Bright.  
And there’s no reason for him to be incapable of facing the same danger she had.  
“See to it that it is contained nonetheless, we will need it in the case against these elves,” Kandomere says and sets the glasses down and walks out.

As he makes his way back to the office his mind wanders to yesterday’s events.  
In the heat of the moment he had forgotten to tell her how he feels before attempting to kiss her.  
He sighs and shakes his head, how could he have made such an easy mistake?  
Considering last night was his first conscious attempt at starting a courtship with her, it’s not going very well.  
He has not made such a mistake like this since his youth!  
Although he has never sought a courtship with someone from another race before and there are bound to be differences in their approach. He has so little information to go off of in her reaction to know whether or not she actually wants a romantic relationship with him. She has been affectionate with him…but he has no way of knowing what is platonic for humans and what is not.  
He runs his hands through his hair, should he apologize?  
She did leave rather quickly…he should definitely apologize.  
She’ll be coming to work soon, perhaps then he can find a moment to speak with her.

*******

You turn your alarm off and roll over.  
It’s been hard to sleep at all.  
You’ve just been replaying what happened yesterday over and over in your head. You let out a sigh and pull the comforter around you tighter, the comforter He gave you.  
How are you supposed to go in to work today?  
Maybe…you could call in sick?  
No, that wouldn’t work…the elf would definitely know you were avoiding him.  
You feel so confused right now, why would he try to kiss you?!  
And YOU almost kissed him back!  
Not that it wouldn’t have been nice to…what are you thinking?  
He’s an elf he wouldn’t want to Date you, not only would his family not approve of you, neither would any of the other elves. Besides he probably would much rather prefer to marry a sophisticated elven woman.  
It’s not like you have a lot to offer him as a human.  
You feel tears slip out of your eyes and onto the pillow.  
Then why do you feel so upset?  
You wipe at your face and force yourself to climb out of bed, you can’t avoid going to work forever, and someone is coming to pick you up afterall.  
You grab some clothes and put them on and begin slowly preparing for your day.  
As you stare at yourself in the mirror and put on your red lipstick you remember Kandomere’s lips on yours…  
You sigh and rub your lips together and then stuff the lipstick into your purse.  
Brushing your hair out of your eyes, you take a minute and examine yourself, you’ve chosen to wear a mint dress with pink and purple flowers and a matching pair of mint heels. You hear a loud knock on the door and peek your head out of your bathroom and then grab your things and head to the door.  
As you open the door you blink in surprise and stare at the burly, red-haired man in a brown suit occupying the hall.  
“What’s the matter, Princess, surprised to see me?” Montehugh asks.  
“…No,” you mutter and step out into the hall and close the door behind you, “Where’s the elf?”  
“He’s busy at the office with something,” Montehugh says.  
You lock your door and nod and then follow him down the hall.

You’re silent as you ride with him to work.  
“Oh hey uh….I think the Boss wanted to talk to you about something? He said it could wait till today?” Montehugh asks.  
You turn from your window to stare at him, “Did…he say what it was about?”  
Montehugh frowns and shakes his head, “No, he didn’t.”  
“Oh,” you mutter and start to turn back to your window again.  
“Hey, you doin’ okay?” Montehugh asks.  
”Of course, I’m fine,” you lie.  
Montehugh glances at you briefly, “You just left in a hurry last night is all.”  
You glance down, “Um…there is actually something I should probably mention…I….don’t have my magic.”  
Montehugh does a double take, “Shit, really?!”  
You nod and stare forward.  
“Does the Boss know?” Montehugh asks.  
You shake your head, “No....”  
He sighs, “He needs to know, when we get to work you HAVE to tell him.”  
You nod.  
“How did this happen? Was it the Basilisk’s venom?” Montehugh asks.  
“I think so? It’s the only thing major that happened recently I can think of,” you say.  
Montehugh hums, “Maybe you just burnt yourself out? You ever try to blow out a candle, but it doesn’t go all the way out before slowly coming back?”  
“Yeah?” you ask.  
“You just gotta give it some time,” Montehugh says, “That little flame will come back you just gotta not blow it out again.”  
“Kind of like when your immune system is too tired from being sick to fight another one right away?” you question.  
He nods, “You’re magic’s just a little strained, it’ll come back on it’s own, and proper rest will help big time.”  
“I…didn’t know it could get strained, there’s been times were it’s been more difficult to do spells but never for very long,” you explain.  
“You’ve been dishing out bigger and bigger spells lately and having to go against equally powerful magic users, things you’ve NEVER done before, there were bound to be some consequences to that,” Montehugh explains.  
“I suppose you’re right,” you whisper.  
“Hey, don’t take it too hard, Princess, you should have never gone up against those witches,” Montehugh says and shakes his head, “I’m sorry that you did, me and the Boss just wanted you to TELL us about magic, and maybe…track them. It ultimately though wasn’t our decision to send you in there.”  
“What do you mean it wasn’t your decision?” you question.  
Montehugh exhales slowly, “One of the bigger bosses told us to send you in if shit went south, he’s one of the ones that’s still suspicious of you, being a Bright and all.”  
You think back to the man that had said something to Kandomere and how he had looked at you, and how whatever the man had said had almost pained the elf…  
“Was he…trying to get rid of me?” you ask afraid.  
Montehugh glances at you and shakes his head again his expression marred with worry, “I fucking hope not, it’d be the biggest mistake he’d ever make. Don’t worry alright, me and the Boss are going to keep you under our wing, we’re not letting anybody from the MTF do shit to you.”  
You nod, ”Thank you, Montehugh.”

You walk through the main room and find Hernández and McTavish at their desks.  
“Hi,” McTavish says.  
“Hola,” Hernández says with a yawn.  
“So they arrested that goblin yesterday and brought him in for questioning,” Hernández says.  
“Has he said anything about the gryphons yet?” you ask.  
McTavish shakes her head, “No, unfortunately not, he’s refused to say anything at all in fact.”  
“Yeah, apparently he keeps singing loudly and off key showtunes every time Davidson and Hodges try to ask him anything more than his name,” Hernández says.  
“I..okay,” you mutter.  
“BUT the good news is he hasn’t even asked for a lawyer yet,” McTavish adds.  
“Yeah we’ll see if we can get a chance to talk to him ourselves, see if we can get him to do something over than sing,” Hernández says.  
You see Montehugh walk back into the main room and then head towards you.  
The other two agents turn to stare at him as he approaches.  
“He’s not in his office he’ll probably be…” Montehugh trails off as you both stare at the blue-haired elf striding into the room.  
Kandomere’s eyes scan the room nonchalantly and when they fix on you he stops abruptly.  
Oh no.  
“Alright, come on, Princess,” Montehugh says and waves for you to follow him.  
“What’s going on?” McTavish asks.  
“I just need to talk to Kandomere….about…” you trail off as you lift your hand to rub at the mark on your neck that has now faded to only a pinprick.  
Hernández nods and puts a hand on Gwen’s shoulder.  
“I’ll….be right back,” you promise.  
You follow Montehugh and he leads you over to Kandomere.  
Kandomere studies you both carefully as you near him and then Montehugh jerks his thumb in the direction of the elf’s office. Kandomere seems to come to his senses and begins heading to his office ahead of you both.

When you reach the door, Montehugh opens it for you and you step inside.  
The elf is in the process of removing his jacket and setting it on a coat rack next to his couch.  
Kandomere glances up at you briefly, “Have a seat.”  
You sit down in a chair in front of his desk and clasp your hands together nervously.  
“Boss, there’s something I think the two of you should discuss,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere inhales and then turns to stare at you and he wets his lips.  
You chew on your bottom lip and glance down and continue to fidget with your hands.  
“It’s about her magic,” Montehugh states.  
You glance back up at the elf and he raises his brows and blinks rapidly.  
“Her magic?” Kandomere questions confused and then he crosses his arms.  
“Yeah, I thought she might avoid telling you, so I wanted to make sure you heard it from her,” Montehugh explains.  
Kandomere looks from the man to you, not angry but concerned.  
“It’s gone,” you say.  
“Not gone, just burnt out,” Montehugh quickly corrects for you.  
Kandomere blinks a couple of times and takes a breath and then shakes his head, “Since when?”  
You’re quiet as you lift your left hand to your neck and rub at the spot.  
Kandomere’s head tilts back as he places his hands on his hips and then steps behind his desk.  
Montehugh was right, you were going to avoid telling Kandomere, especially considering how guilty he already felt.  
Kandomere sighs and looks to you and his face softens, “Try not to worry yourself too much, your magic will come back to you.”  
“That’s what I told her,” Montehugh says as he moves around your chair and sits in one of the chairs to the left against the wall near the filing cabinets.  
You nod at the elf and make eye contact.  
He opens his mouth to say something and then closes it and turns to stare out his window.  
“Perhaps I can make a few calls and see if there are any adverse side effects for Basilisk’s venom we don’t already know about,” Kandomere continues as he rolls up his sleeves.  
You stare at his back and the way it flexes as he finishes with his right sleeve and moves to his left. You have the sudden desire to press yourself against his back, and those arms…  
You lift your head up as you try to get a better view when you hear someone clear their throat loudly. Your head turns to the left and you lock eyes with Montehugh and you immediately lower your head and pretend to be fixing your hair.  
The elf turns at the sound and stares at Montehugh.  
You had completely forgotten for a moment that Montehugh was still in the room.  
“Maybe Saerthon knows a thing or two?” Montehugh suggests his eyes darting to you briefly.  
The elf nods, “It’s possible.”  
You don’t really want to pay a visit to Saerthon today.  
“Shall we?” Kandomere asks.  
You furrow your brows together, “Now?”  
Kandomere seems confused by your question, “Yes…”  
You sigh and stand up and walk to the door and the elf follows you.  
He does not place his hand on your back like he usually does, and you’re both grateful considering how awkward everything is between you two and a little sad.  
And it occurs to you it’s because you Want his touch.  
Part way down the hall Montehugh, who had been following the two of you, breaks off from your group to step into another office.  
“Are you not coming?” you ask stopping to stare at him.  
He shakes his head, “Nah, I got some paperwork to do, so you two go on ahead.”  
You look back at the elf and then slowly begin walking down the hall again.  
When you step into the elevator Kandomere hits the button and moves to rest his hand on your back and stops himself and puts his hands in his pockets instead. You stare down at his right hand and then up at his face and then stare forward again and cross your arms.  
So he doesn’t want to touch you anymore…  
That’s fine.  
It’ll…make things easier.

You continue on to the lab building and Kandomere leads you to Saerthon’s office.  
He knocks on the door and after a moment it opens and the older elf appears.  
“Oh, hello,” Saerthon greets surprised as he stares at the two of you.  
“May we come in?” Kandomere asks.  
Saerthon raises his brows and opens the door wider and waves a hand, “I don’t see why not.”  
You both step into the elf’s office and Kandomere shuts the door behind you.  
“Come to check on our progress?” Saerthon asks with a smile, “We should be ready to hand over your Aunt’s belongings to you by Monday all you’ll need to do is meet with the lawyer first and-“  
“Saerthon, what do you know of Basilisk’s venom.?” Kandomere interrupts.  
Saerthon furrows his brows confused, “I have already told you what I know.”  
“Yes, but are the effects different for a Bright?” Kandomere questions.  
The other elf looks to you and then back at Kandomere, “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”  
“Can it make a Bright lose their magic?” Kandomere asks.  
Saerthon blinks, “I. DON’T. KNOW. Every Bright is different and it’s impossible to say what affects one will affect another.”  
Kandomere inhales and then stares at you, “Step outside for a moment, please,” he says and he opens the door for you.  
You stare at the door and then at Kandomere and step out of the room.  
He closes the door behind you and you hear the conversation continues in Övüsi.  
“{I thought you were supposed to be an expert?}” Kandomere demands.  
“{Yes, on magic artifacts. SHE is not a magic artifact,}” Saerthon says loudly.  
“{And yet you can’t figure out why one has claimed her either,}” Kandomere says.  
You turn from the door to stare down the hall.  
The key.  
You begin to quietly move down the hall.  
”{Honestly, if I didn’t know any better I would say you were getting Attached to this woman,}” Saerthon says.  
You pause.  
You hear Kandomere’s voice next, but it’s too low for you to hear, and then the door opens and he steps out. He glances around and then finally spots you further down the hall from him.  
Kandomere briskly walks towards you and his eyes glance down the hall, “What are you doing?” he asks softly.  
You glance down the hall behind you, “I…I don’t know,” you admit quietly.  
His hand moves to tilt your chin up, but you shy away from his touch.  
Kandomere seems hurt by this and withdraws his hand, “We’re not that desperate,” he whispers, “We’re never going to be that desperate.”  
You bite your lip and nod and then walk past him towards the way you had come.  
When you walk through the lab you see the Specialist wandering around checking books, you try to avoid her, but she sees you and waves to you.  
“You’ll be happy to know that you’ll be getting your things back soon,” she says smiling wide at you.  
“Yeah,” you reply dryly.  
She takes note of your tone and shifts the books in her hands, “I’m sorry, I know this is a difficult time for you and that it’s not helped by having strangers go through your family member’s belongings.”  
You just nod and stare around the room.  
Kandomere steps beside you and seems to be waiting for you to leave, “This is your last day, yes?” he asks the elven woman.  
“It is,” the Specialist says with a nod, and then she turns to looks at you, “There are a myriad of old canvas paintings that had been hidden amongst other things of your Aunt’s…I’m not certain if you’ve seen them before…”  
You shrug your shoulders, “I know she has a few.”  
The Specialist shakes her head, “More than a few, there are dozens of them, even some from when she was a young girl.”  
You’ve definitely never seen any pictures of Selina that young, maybe she was worried they would get damaged since they’re probably the oldest paintings, still you would like to see them.  
“I’ll look at them later,” you decide.  
The Specialist nods and turns away as she resumes her work.  
You leave the lab and head back towards the office building, and when you and Kandomere both step onto the elevator, Kandomere glances at you and then down at the floor.  
You turn to him and stare at him.  
He meets your eyes and inhales, “I think we should talk about what happened last night,” he begins.  
You don’t want to.  
You really don’t want him to just turn you down like this.  
“There’s nothing to talk about, Kandomere,” you interrupt.  
He blinks and stares at you.  
“Nothing happened, so there’s nothing to talk about,” you say with a smile.  
He opens his mouth slightly and then slowly nods.  
You smile at him again and then step off the elevator when the door opens and leave the elf behind. 

You find your way to McTavish and Hernández’s desks who then proceed to brief you on every known Batteredwings member.  
And after a couple hours you all head to the break room for coffee.  
Hernández is fiddling with the machine trying to get it to turn on, “Come on, you piece of shit.”  
“Hey, are you ok?” McTavish asks.  
“Huh? Oh…yeah,” you mutter.  
“Are you sure? You seem a little sad,” McTavish continues.  
You shrug your shoulders, “It’s just not a good day.”  
“How come?” Hernández asks turning to you.  
“I don’t know things are just a little weird right now,” you say.  
“Because of your magic?” McTavish asks quietly.  
“Yes…and no,” you continue.  
“Okay, what happened?” Hernández asks with a raised brow.  
“What makes you think something happened?” you ask defensively.  
Hernández crosses her arms.  
“Alright, so yesterday…me and Kandomere…” you say rubbing your arms, “Almost kissed,” you whisper.  
Both of their eyes widen.  
“What?!” Hernández exclaims in a hushed tone, “And you weren’t going to tell me?”  
“Wait,” McTavish say closing her eyes and holding her hands up, “Why almost?”  
You sigh and shrug your shoulders, “I got embarrassed because a bunch of other agents almost walked in on us and they would have assumed I was sleeping with him and I…I’m just so confused right now,” you blurt out.  
“Woah, take it easy,” Hernández says.  
“I just don’t know what to do,” you admit.  
McTavish puts her hand on your arm, “It sounds like you need to talk about it, so how about we all go to lunch?”  
“It’s not even noon yet,” you say.  
“Then we’ll do brunch, that’s what people do in this town, right?” Hernández says, “Come on, there’s a café right around the corner.”

*******

Kandomere’s mind races as he paces his office.  
She said that nothing happened so there’s nothing to talk about, and she had smiled when she said it. A smile that didn’t reach her eyes… another indication that she’s putting on a face for him.  
But why?  
Why would she feel she could not talk to him about it?  
Perhaps she wishes the subject to be dropped because she wished it never happened in the first place?  
His heart sinks.  
He stops pacing and stares over at his partner, Montehugh, who is currently sitting on his couch opening a snack he got from the vending machine. Their lunch order hasn’t arrived yet and if Kandomere wasn’t so torn up about this woman he would have likely done the same. The elf catches sight of Montehugh’s wedding band on his left hand. There’s something about her response that is unsatisfactory and he’s not sure how to proceed or if at all. She didn’t exactly turn him down, merely dodged his questioning. That’s what’s bothering him, the lack of being able to address the situation. He needs some form of resolution, he needs a definitive answer from her.  
But how should he go about that?  
In a way that she will feel comfortable discussing it with him?  
He stops and stares at Montehugh, “Ulysses?”  
His partner stops just as he’s about to take a bite of his cupcake, “Yeah, Boss?” he sighs.  
“You’re married, yes?” Kandomere questions.  
Montehugh stares blankly at the elf and then blinks and glances down at his hand, “Yeah.”  
“How did you go about courting your wife?” Kandomere asks.  
“Court?” Montehugh questions confused, “Boss, where is this coming from?” he continues shaking his head.  
Kandomere glances down at the floor and exhales slowly, “Our consultant and I…nearly shared our first kiss last night.”  
Montehugh’s brows raise and he sets his cupcake down on a napkin, “Nearly?”  
Kandomere sighs and resumes pacing.  
Montehugh remains on the couch absorbing this new information for a moment.  
“Is this why she left in a hurry?” Montehugh asks, “And why you had me pick her up this morning?”  
Kandomere falters for a moment and then paces once more.  
“Ah, so she turned you down?” Montehugh questions.  
“Not…exactly,” Kandomere responds.  
Montehugh shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders.  
“We were…interrupted and I tried to discuss it with her today but she said ‘that nothing happened and that there was nothing to talk about,’” Kandomere explains.  
“Ouch,” Montehugh replies.  
Kandomere sighs and runs his hand through his hair.  
“So was this before or after she was checking you out?” Montehugh questions.  
Kandomere’s eyes widen and he turns towards the man, “What?”  
“Was this before or after she was in your office?” Montehugh asks.  
Kandomere blinks, “After,” he answers.  
“Then there’s still hope for you yet, elf,” Montehugh says with a smile.  
“She was?” Kandomere begins hopeful.  
“Oh BIG TIME. I’m surprised you didn’t notice actually, but to be fair you had your back turned,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere puffs out his chest a little and smirks.  
She DOES find him attractive.  
But that still doesn’t answer why she is avoiding him.  
“How should I proceed with this courtship?” Kandomere asks.  
“Again with that word, what are you talking about?” Montehugh asks.  
“Do humans not have courtship rules?” Kandomere asks.  
Montehugh stares at him confused and now Kandomere is also confused.  
“The steps one would take to woo their potential future spouse?” Kandomere questions.  
Montehugh’s brows raise, “Ah ok,” he says nodding, “I don’t think humans have called it that in the last oh I don’t know, two hundred years?”  
Kandomere stares at the man, “I am more than a hundred, myself.”  
“Look I get that courtship may still be an elf thing, but it’s not a human thing anymore, so you’re gonna need to change your approach,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere blinks and then puts his hands in his pockets, “What do you suggest I do then?”  
Montehugh snorts, “You think I have a fucking clue?!”  
Kandomere glares at him angrily.  
“Look, I’ve been happily married for more than twenty-five years,” Montehugh says holding up his left hand, “You think I have any idea how to date?”  
Kandomere straightens and tilts his head to the side.  
“Alright, if you still want my advice, I say just ask her out, plain and simple,” Montehugh says.  
“Ask her to dinner?” Kandomere asks.  
“If that’s your first instinct, then yeah,” Montehugh says.  
Kandomere nods, “Dinner would be an appropriate start in a courtship.”  
Montehugh smiles, “See? Just be your usual self, she seems to like you well enough.”  
Kandomere’s brows furrow, “But what if she says no?”  
Montehugh sighs, “That’s always a possibility, I got dumped three times in a row before I met my wife and asked her out. But considering how you two are with each other I got a feeling she’ll say yes.”  
“How we are with each other?” Kandomere questions crossing his arms.  
Montehugh shakes his head and smiles, “Boss, you let her sleep on your couch, WHILE wearing your expensive suit jacket. Name the last time you let someone do that?”  
He can’t.  
Because he’s never let someone else sleep on his couch at work.  
“Not to mention how you were when we first found her. You and I both know you didn’t need to be so attentive when she was recovering, you could have delegated that to someone else, anyone else,” Montehugh continues.  
That was because he had felt responsible for her safety.  
She was vulnerable and scared and needed someone to protect her…and he had wanted to be there for her.  
And he has been there for her and he wishes to continue to be there for her.  
He wants her in his life and it’s a terrifying and daunting task of entering a new relationship, but he’s wiling to take the plunge if she is.  
It’s a lot to take in all at once, but he knows what his next step is.  
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” Kandomere says.  
Montehugh huffs as he watches the elf briskly walk out of his own office.  
He has to find her.  
He has to find this woman who has quickly found a place in his heart.

*******

You’re sitting at one of the outdoor tables of a café with Hernández and McTavish, and despite the fact that there’s an amazing spread of breakfast foods in front of you, you can’t find it in you to eat any of it.  
Your stomach is too busy being twisted in knots at the moment.  
“Alright, so you almost kissed him, and then you were embarrassed because other people intruded on your intimate moment with the elf, correct?” Hernández asks.  
“Correct,” you confirm.  
She nods, “So what’s the issue now? What’s the part you’re confused about?”  
“I’m actually fine now and I’m…not going to try to kiss him again,” you lie.  
The two agents exchange confused glances.  
“I thought you liked him?” McTavish asks.  
You shake your head, “Kandomere’s nice and all, but I don’t want to date him.”  
Hernández narrows her eyes and then wafts the steam from her coffee, “Mmm smell that Gwen? It’s a cup of bullshit.”  
You roll your eyes and cross your arms, “I…look I already told Kandomere that nothing happened between us.”  
“You told him what?!” McTavish exclaims.  
“So the elf did try to talk to you about it and you….just brushed him off?” Hernández questions.  
“Okay, wait a minute did you actually want to talk about your feelings or not?” McTavish asks.  
“I think she wants to avoid her feelings,” Hernández says.  
“There aren’t any feelings,” you lie.  
You’re feeling embarrassed that you even brought it up.  
You just want to drop the subject and go back to the way things were.  
Hernández raises her brows and stares at you.  
McTavish shakes her head and reaches for one of her muffins, “She’s in denial.”  
“Oh big time,” Hernández says.  
“I’m not in-“ you begin.  
“Yeah, you are,” Hernández interrupts.  
“You two have been giving each other these soulful looks for ages now, so you should just ask him out already,” McTavish says with her mouth full of banana nut muffin.  
Your shoulders droop, “Kandomere and I…would never work out.”  
“WHY?” Hernández questions.  
“BECAUSE he’s an ELF,” you state.  
“Are You bothered by the fact that he’s an elf?” Hernández asks.  
“I…no,” you admit.  
”Then what’s the problem?” McTavish asks.  
“Kandomere’s an elf, and I’m…not,” you say, “He wouldn’t want me.”  
Hernández throws her head back and groans, “MI DIOS! Was I this bad?!”  
You stare at her confused for a moment.  
She lowers her head and glares at you, “Just date the elf already!”  
You shake your head, “I don’t even like him,“ you lie.  
“BULLSHIT!” Hernández exclaims, “You two are so fucking soft on each other I think you’re actually going to give me cavities!”  
“Gabriela,” McTavish says.  
“Don’t Gabriela me! This is important Gwen,” Hernández says to her partner before turning on you again, “You can lie to yourself all you want, but you can’t lie to me, because I’ve been where you are.”  
You lean back in your chair silently.  
“You can’t be afraid to live your life because other people don’t approve of your choices, alright? Because you never know, one morning you might wake up and find that your head over heels in love with the person sleeping next to you and then suddenly find yourself shopping for an engagement ring to propose to your girlfriend of six years,” Hernández continues.  
You slowly uncross your arms, you hadn’t thought of it like that.  
“I know you’re scared, shit I’m scared still, this world isn’t very accepting of ‘unconventional’ couples. But if you don’t follow your heart and see where this goes? You are going to be kicking yourself for it later,” Hernández says.  
You take a breath and stare down at your untouched food.  
You…actually really do like Kandomere.  
You have for a while now.  
You were caught off guard when he had initiated a kiss.  
You didn’t want to let yourself hope that he would ever reciprocate the feelings you had for him. Feelings, that you’re still sifting through, but…you really like him. You actually want to cuddle with him on your couch again and watch shitty documentaries.  
“Do…you think he likes me?” you ask still worried.  
“Absolutely, he’s never been like this with anyone before,” Hernández says.  
McTavish nods in agreement.  
You smile and then frown, “So do I….ask for his number or something?”  
Hernández pauses for a moment, “You could probably just pick back up where you left off, just talk to him this time.”  
You nod, “That’s…probably a good place to start.”  
You finally pick up your utensils and start eating your food.  
“So when were you going to tell me that you were planning to propose to Josefina?” McTavish asks.  
“Uh…I was actually going to ask for your help in picking out a ring,” Hernández says.  
You listen to their conversation about rings and think about what you’re going to say to Kandomere now.

After brunch you all head back to work, and as you walk into the main room there’s a few agents standing near Hernández’s and McTavish’ desks. Hernández steers you all towards them and you see Davidson and his partner Hodges are talking to a handful of other agents.  
“Yeah that goblin hasn’t said shit,” Davidson says.  
“Unless, it’s singing,” the short-haired, blonde man Hodges adds.  
“Isn’t this the third time you’ve ‘interrogated’ him?” Hernández asks in annoyance.  
Davidson turns to her, “Yeah so?”  
“And you still couldn’t get anything?” Hernández asks.  
Davidson pushes back his greasy hair, “Well, I’d like to see you do better, Gabi.”  
You watch as Hernandez’s hands clench into fists, “My name is Gabriela Elena Maria Hernández.”  
There’s a slight upwards tilt to Davidson’s mouth, “Gabi, if you want to hear the goblin’s little songs so bad why don’t you just go talk to him yourself?”  
“Maybe I will, afterall SOMEONE needs to do their job around here,” Hernández remarks and turns on her heel. The other agents around Davidson eye him with disapproval and then start to disperse, and Davidson seems irritated by the lack of an audience.

You and McTavish follow Hernández back to the elevator and take it down.  
“You can’t let him get to you,” McTavish says softly.  
“I know, I know,” Hernández grumbles.  
You all walk out of this building and towards the one where you’ve spent time recovering from injuries.  
McTavish opens the first door and you and Hernández follow and then McTavish opens the second door into the lobby area of the building.  
Hernández approaches the desk of the guard stationed in the front, “We need to speak to the Batteredwings member that was recently arrested.”  
The guard nods and pulls out some paperwork for Hernández and McTavish to sign and then makes a call over the radio.  
After a few minutes a second guard appears and then escorts the three of you up the stairs and to one of the interrogation rooms and unlocks it.  
Hernández and McTavish enter first and you follow them shortly after.

As you step into the interrogation room, there’s a four-foot tall, green and freckled goblin seated in a chair behind a table in ripped jeans and a cutoff jean-jacket vest with a white, stained tank top on underneath. You also notice that there’s a feathered wing embroidered on the vest with tattered feathers outlined in red thread.  
The goblin is grumpily slumped in his chair with his arms folded over his chest.  
“So Gargef-“ Hernández begins pulling out her own chair opposite the goblin.  
“GARG,” the goblin growls.  
Hernández sits down and stares at him, “Alright, Garg. You’re in some pretty deep shit.”  
Garg rolls his eyes and scoffs.  
“Something funny about that?” McTavish questions seriously.  
The goblin’s eyes dart to McTavish and then briefly to Hernández before he stares at the wall.  
“YOUR van was full of illegal gryphon organs, and we already know your friends were intending to sell them. So possession and intent to sell…” Hernández trails off and tsks, “That’s a whole lot of jail time. But maybe…if you tell us where your amigos are keeping the gryphons we could cut you a deal.”  
Garg turns back to Hernández and snarls, “Yeah right, I ain’t tellin’ you shit lady!”  
“So how exactly does a gang go from chicken fights to gryphon fights?” McTavish demands now pacing back and forth in front if the table.  
You watch Garg closely and see that there’s a flicker of nervousness in his eyes, but then he tilts his head up and says, “It’s called expansion.”  
“Expansion?” Hernández prompts.  
“Yeah, you know enterprising. We’ve been pushed around for far too long by all these bigger races,” Garg says.  
“Ah so it is a power grab then?” Hernández asks.  
“People underestimate us, think since we’re small and green we’re not a threat. So the Boss wanted us to bring in some bigger ‘entertainment’ to prove to everyone else that we’re not to be fucked with,” Garg continues.  
Hernández nods, “And how did your ‘Boss’ come across these gryphons? Must have been pretty hard to wrangle them all yourself.”  
Garg snorts, “Not really, we got the first two from some smugglers and then we drove out to a known nesting site, shot them full of tranquilizer and brought them back here on trucks, and now…everybody is talking about us.”  
McTavish continues to pace back and forth behind you, “So where are they now?”  
Garg shifts in his seat uncomfortably and falls silent.  
“WHERE ARE THE GRYPHONS?!” McTavish demands again and slams her hands down on the table.  
Garg’s eyes widen and he leans back in alarm and looks to Hernández.  
Hernández puts her hand up and McTavish steps back and stares at the goblin.  
“Just tell us where the Batteredwings are keeping the gryphons,” Hernández says calmly.  
Garg looks between Hernández and McTavish and then he looks to you and you feign a worried look at McTavish and Garg glances back at Hernández.  
“Alright, just keep that Dwarf away from me!” Garg exclaims pointing at McTavish.  
Hernández pretends to shoo her partner away and McTavish turns around and smiles at you.  
Garg leans in towards Hernández, “We’ve been keeping them separated and only bringing them out for fights, but the Boss isn’t happy with just one on one gryphon fights anymore, so we’re planning a big event at the end of the month with all of them together.”  
“So they’ll all be in the same place at the same time?” Hernández asks, “But you don’t know where they are now?”  
“Yeah that’s all I know, only the Boss knows where all of them are,” Garg says.  
Hernández nods again, “So who is this ‘Boss’ of yours? If you’re so proud of how the Batteredwings are doing, why trust an elf to be in charge? I thought you hated elves just as much as everyone else?”  
Garg opens his mouth and then closes it and leans back in his chair, “I want to speak to a lawyer.”  
Hernández sighs and stands up, “Then I guess we’re done here.”  
“For now,” McTavish adds.  
And then you all step out of the room again.  
There’s now an additinal guard standing outside and they both enter the room to take Garg back to his holding cell. You follow Hernández and McTavish back down the stairs and out of the building and then back across the grass once more.  
“Hey, we’re pretty much done for the day,” Hernández says.  
“Already?” you ask surprised.  
Hernández yawns, “Yeah, it’s only a half day today, so we’re just going to take you back up to get your stuff and then head out.”  
“I think ‘Your elf’ didn’t want you to overwork yourself after just getting back,” McTavish says with a smile.  
You smile to yourself.  
You take the elevator back up and head back towards the desks to gather your things and then start to head back to the elevators.  
“We’ll be just a minute we just have to tell some of the other agents what Garg told us,” Hernández says.  
“You can go ahead and head down to the ground floor and wait for us there,” McTavish says.  
You nod and head towards the elevators again.  
As the doors start to close you hear a familiar voice say, “Hold the elevator.”

*******

“Hold the elevator,” he says as he watches her disappear into it.  
His Bright pushes the hold door button and he strides into the elevator. She glances up at him briefly and then presses the ground floor button.  
The doors slowly close and the elevator begins moving.  
He stands beside her fidgeting with his hand as he tries to think of a way to ask her while simultaneously resisting the urge to wrap an arm around her.  
He notices her glance at him out of the corner of her eye.  
Well, it’s now or never.  
He turns to her and she looks up at him curiously.  
“Would you…” he begins as he stares into her beautiful eyes as she blinks slowly, “Like to join me for dinner?”  
Her eyes widen slightly in surprise and the elevator stops and the doors open.  
The woman turns towards the doors and he’s afraid she’s going to leave without even answering, but instead she just stands there and says nothing.  
Then she slowly blinks and she turns back to look up at him, “Like a date?” she asks softly.  
He wets his lips and nods slowly.  
She gives him a small smile and glances down shyly and then her eyes meet his, “I would love to.”  
Kandomere’s heart leaps and he smiles, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven.”  
She smiles wider and nods.  
He reaches for her hand and brings it to his lips and she gasps as a furious blush colors her cheeks. He then trails his lips lightly over her knuckles and she continues to blush and starts to glance down shyly, although she makes no move to withdraw from him.  
God, he adores her.  
He starts to let her hand go and she seems to remember that she had got on the elevator for a reason. Her hand slowly slips out of his and she walks backwards out of the elevator.  
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” she says.  
He smiles wide at her and she returns it.  
“Goodbye, Querida,” he says.  
“Goodbye, Kandomere,” she says and then she walks away finally.  
Kandomere exhales and pushes the button for his floor and takes the elevator back up.  
The elf walks confidently back into his office and Montehugh stares at him, “Well? How’d it go?”  
Kandomere stuffs his hands back into his pockets and grins, “She agreed to a date.”  
Montehugh claps his hands together, “See? Now was that so hard?”  
“Immensely,” Kandomere responds, “But it seems I have preparations to make for my date tomorrow.”


End file.
